Cyber Students: Undeserving Targets of Teachers' Unions

With all that’s wrong in public education today, what if I told you some good news? There are more than 69,000 students in Pennsylvania who have found a K-12 school that works for them – after trying two or more other schools that didn’t work.

And there’s more good news: these schools only cost us about 68% of what it costs taxpayers to run public schools.

If you’re a parent, taxpayer, or small-business owner looking for employees, you’re probably smiling. Well, sadly, you wouldn’t fit in among many politicians in Harrisburg. Instead of celebrating or learning from these success stories, some politicians are busy working to take money away from these students.

Cyber charter school students (attending digital/online schools) are under attack in Harrisburg for the second year in a row by too many politicians and self-serving adults. This is due to teachers’ union power and the educational industrial complex’s never-ending thirst for our tax dollars.

Why attack cyber students and cut their funding? Despite only accounting for 2.4% of all K-12 students in Pennsylvania, they are allegedly somehow responsible for the claim that there isn’t “enough” money for district-run public schools, along with the academic failings in district-run schools.

Time for a reality check.

40 billion tax dollars were spent on public education in Pennsylvania this school year – the most ever. Pennsylvania’s average per pupil spending was about $25,000 – a bit more in Philadelphia, and much more in many suburban districts. (As a point of reference, the tuition at St. Joseph’s Preparatory School was $28,300 this year. The tuition at Merion Mercy Academy was $23,950. Lower Merion School District spent at least $29,000 per child.)

But there’s more. Of the 2 million K-12 students in our state, there are only 69,000 students attending one of Pennsylvania’s 15 cyber schools. These are public schools, supervised by the state Department of Education. Being public schools, they are funded by taxpayers – yet only at a rate of about 68% of what it costs to educate a student in a district-run public school.

In 2024-25, Harrisburg both increased public-school funding by $1.2 billion, while cutting only one group of students – cyber school students. They now receive only about 68% of school district students’ funding. Meanwhile, the other 32% – the money not sent to the student’s chosen cyber school – goes to the public school district that the cyber student left (where the student is not attending). Yes, local public-school districts get to keep about 32% of the per pupil spending – without educating the student.

And yet, the education swamp apparently wants more.

Cyber students are in any given cyber school because their parent/guardian chose it for them. In almost every case, it’s the second school that these students are enrolled in – having left their public school for a variety of reasons. And in many cases, it’s the third, fourth, or fifth school as parents searched desperately to find somewhere that works. Unlike public schools that have a captive student audience and get dependable, predicable funding, cyber schools only earn their fees if a student chooses to enroll and stays.

In each of the last three years, the largest increases in the history of Pennsylvania taxpayer spending were added. If history is any guide, for the upcoming school year (2025-26), the amount spent across the Commonwealth will exceed $41 billion.

Pennsylvania’s per pupil spending is higher than 44 states.

And the education-swamp fails to mention that they have tons of cash-on-hand. Across the 500 school districts in our state – when accounting for “reserve funds,” “assigned accounts,” and money set aside for “capital projects” – public school districts in Pennsylvania have over $13 billion in cash.

An historic amount of spending. Plus, $13 billion sitting in the bank. And yet, the education swamp wants to take away even more money from cyber students.

This is because the teachers’ union and the education-swamp dislikes competition and can never have enough money.

It’s important to keep this spending in mind before they talk about “not enough money” being spent on public education – let alone that cyber students are “taking-away” money from public school districts.

The politicians doing the bidding of the swamp know full-well that there is no political will to close cyber schools. So, cowardly, they cut their funding.

Even worse, these politicians, the swamp, and teachers’ unions purposefully pit student against student and parent against parent.

It’s not about the kids. It’s about power and money.

Maybe against the backdrop the presently turbulent news cycle, this doesn't seem important. But it’s important to the 69,000 students attending cyber charter schools – and their families. It’s also important to those of us who understand that finding a school that works for each child can change lives and help our Commonwealth lift itself out of economic and population stagnation.

With a governor who ran his campaign with a pledge of supporting “education choice” and as he told America that “every child of God deserves a shot” in Pennsylvania, maybe there should be a bipartisan effort to support these 69,000 students. And for everyone to learn what’s working for them and help other students, too. 

That’s why this issue is so critical in Pennsylvania.