To the Editor:

Cyber charter schools in Pennsylvania are being overpaid. As a result, they are able to use the excess cash for items unrelated to learning. The plan proposed in the state budget is to establish $9,500 as a flat rate for cyber charter tuition and apply the special Education Funding Formula to all charter schools. This would save a lot of local property tax dollars - $229 million statewide. The East Penn school district would save $742,577.53 annually. The annual savings for Allentown would be $2,968,582.48.

This is a common sense reform plan that would still allow the cybers plenty of money to operate. If any cuts would need to be made, the cybers could start by not using our local tax dollars to lavish new real estate purchases and huge roadside billboards. The tuition being paid to the cybers should go solely toward educating those students.

Let’s also not forget the state legislature used to help pay charter school tuition until they decided to cut that line item. Pro school choice legislatures love school choice but they don’t love paying for it. That coat has been handed entirely to the local taxpayers.

Mark Spengler

Lower Macungie Township