BCT Editorial – 1/18/06

This page was last updated on January 18, 2006.

State’s duty; Editorial; Beaver County Times; January 18, 2006.

Below is a detailed critique of the subject editorial.

“Charter schools, including cyberschools, are part of the public education’s future. However, the state is still locked into a funding approach that is rooted in the past.

“The Associated Press reports the Pennsylvania School Boards Association wants to change that. It has asked the state to impose a moratorium on the formation of cyberschools and for the state to come up with a funding formula that pushes more of the cost to the state.”

[RWC] No kidding. The PSBA has been doing this for public schools in general forever, not just charter schools. The bottom line is, the PSBA members want to spend whatever they want without having to face local taxpayers. Spending someone else’s money is easier for them.

“The Legislature should heed PSBA’s request. Cyberschools are creatures of the state, and the state should be responsible for funding them. Otherwise, it’s just another underfunded mandate for local school districts.”

[RWC] “Cyberschools are creatures of the state?” Sure they are, just like every other public school in the commonwealth.