DV Journal

In July 2024, Gov. Josh Shapiro, along with 179 state lawmakers, cut funding for special education students in 14 public schools.

Now, seven months later, the governor and many members of the General Assembly are collaborating with traditional public education organizations to push an unconstitutional plan based on false and misleading information, aiming to close schools serving 65,000 students.

The Pennsylvania auditor general recently joined the anti-cyber school movement, advocating for significant funding cuts by claiming the current funding formula is flawed.

While some may see this as typical political maneuvering, the reality is that it will severely disadvantage tens of thousands of students and their families who depend on the safety, security, and flexibility of public cyber charter schools.

Pennsylvania’s school districts are like Social Security in federal politics–they’re untouchable. Our public education system has been hijacked by adults who prioritize their own interests in favor of the status quo.

Our state’s political leaders lack the courage and will to do what is right for all students. They are so beholden to public sector unions that our public education system remains governed by a law from 1949. Without innovative and transformative leadership, Pennsylvania will continue to fall behind.

Pennsylvania’s school districts collectively represent a $36.7 billion taxpayer-funded enterprise. Over the last decade, their funding has increased by $10.5 billion (40 percent), despite a four percent decline in enrollment. This is in addition to the $12 billion districts have socked away in savings accounts.

Taxpayers spend nearly $22,000 for each student – an amount that has increased 46 percent over the last 10 years.

While advocating for an additional $1 billion for school districts, the governor has proposed slashing funding for cyber school students to $8,000 each – 64 percent less than their counterparts in school districts.

This massive funding discrepancy is not only immoral, but it also violates these students’ 14th Amendment rights to equal protection under the law.

Cyber charter schools account for less than three percent of total public school spending. Debt service, pension costs, and benefit costs are what are straining school districts’ budgets, not cyber charter schools. Many in Harrisburg know it but they refuse to admit it because teachers’ unions keep them in line by contributing millions of dollars to their campaigns.

Public cyber school students are not second-class citizens. Their families pay the same federal, state, and local taxes as the families of students in school districts.

Nearly 50 percent of students who attend public cyber charter schools are Black, Hispanic, and multiracial, yet many elected officials openly support cutting their school funding. Why are these students being singled out for funding cuts?

Public cyber charter schools also serve a high percentage of teen parents, students with disabilities, homeless students, full-time working students, students with mental health challenges, and students serving as caretakers for family members. They rely on the flexibility of cyber charter schools to obtain their high school diploma. Again, why are these students being singled out for funding cuts?

Gov. Shapiro campaigned on school choice—a policy overwhelmingly supported by Pennsylvanians; however, he has capitulated to special interest groups who believe they know what’s best for students and families. In typical politician fashion, Shapiro has now abandoned Pennsylvania students as he turns his sites to the White House in preparation for his run for president.

The unfair targeting of cyber charter school students as the cause of school district financial mismanagement must end. Reductions to their funding or the elimination of their schools borders on being a grave civil rights injustice, which the courts are likely to frown upon.

As long as state and school district leaders continue to bury their heads in the sand and ignore the will of students and families, enrollment in cyber charter schools will continue to rise.

Families have reached their breaking point with their local districts because they and their children have been ignored, mistreated, and bullied for far too long. Families want a 21st-century education system that meets their children’s needs, provides them with flexibility, and accommodates their schedules.

Pennsylvania’s political leaders are elected to represent the people. They have an obligation to ensure all students are treated fairly and equally.

September 11. Columbine.

They were the unthinkable, horrific incidents that officials mentioned at a recent press conference announcing $350,000 in state funds to buy a Lenco BearCat vehicle for Bucks County SWAT use.

State Sen. Frank Farry (R-Bucks) announced the funding, surrounded by law enforcement and state representatives who helped obtain it in the lower chamber.

Farry said the county’s one BearCat is 21 years old and stored in central Bucks County. The new BearCat will stay in Bensalem unless it’s needed.

State Sen. Frank Farry (R-Bucks)

If an unthinkable incident occurs, a second armored vehicle will help with response time.

“It sure is better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it,” said Rep. K.C. Tomlinson (R-Bensalem).

Farry called it a “vital tool for our law enforcement officers when high-risk incidents happen. So, whether it is a hostage situation or somebody threatening to harm themselves in a mass casualty incident, this is an important tool for them to use.”

It will help protect not just law enforcement officers but civilians, as well, he said.

“I’ve been a volunteer firefighter for 35 years and the chief of the Langhorne Middletown Department for over 23 now. As I was thinking about speaking today, one of the things I thought about is the equipment that we have on our fire apparatus. We have a lot of equipment that we use fairly regularly, but we also have other equipment there for specialized incidents.

“And it’s equipment you never want to pull off the truck or utilize because that means you’re at a large loss of life, you’re at a significant property damage incident and whatnot. But it’s equipment that’s necessary to have to be able to do our job. And the command staff and police leadership in Bucks County that are standing behind me will be able to attest that they never want to have to deploy equipment of this nature. But this equipment is necessary in the event that they have to deploy it and they need to keep their officers safe. But they also may need it to rescue members of the public, and keep them safe.

“And ultimately, the piece of equipment may be deployed to bring an end to an incident.”

Bensalem Mayor Digirolamo and William McVey, director of public safety, Warrington Police Chief Dan Friel, president of Bucks County Chiefs Association, said, “We are extremely grateful for our state representatives and senator for obtaining the funds for this vehicle refuse that will protect police and civilians alike.”

Press conference to announce BearCat funding

“It is essential that police officers are afforded the protective armor BearCats can provide. Using the essential equipment has become a common tactic. Because it is common sense. The BearCat can operate in situations where traditional rescue apparatus cannot.”

In addition to violent shooting situations, it can be useful for rescuing people following hurricanes and tornadoes, he said, as well as overcoming barricades and serving high-risk search warrants.

All three Bucks County SWAT teams will use this “tremendous and necessary resource,” said Friel.

District Attorney Jennifer Schorn welcomed the funding and thanked the state legislators for obtaining it.

Sheriff Fred Harran said “keeping our county safe” is the first priority, mentioning that it has been 26 years since the Columbine school shooting and 23 years since the 9/11 terror attack.

After 9/11, there was an “influx of funds to help law enforcement. Then the tide turned, and those funds went away,” said Harran. The legislators knew there was no federal funding and they “stepped up to the plate,” he said.

Rep. Kristin Marcell (R-Richboro), Rep. Shelby Labs (R-Doylestown), and Rep. Joe Hogan (R-Penndel) were also on hand to announce the BearCat funding. Farry said Rep. Craig Staats (R-Richland) also assisted but could not attend the press conference.

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In Harrisburg, Republicans believe in creating a child-first, family-focused educational experience where every graduate is prepared for the opportunity to experience earned success.

We understand that, as a necessary correlation, students and families need every choice available to them as they prepare for the future and garner the skills to prepare them for tomorrow’s workforce.

At a recent hearing in Perkasie, we heard from administrators, teachers, and graduates of the Upper Bucks County Technical School about how career and technical education must be a choice option that is open to as many students as possible.

CTE centers like the Upper Bucks County Technical School operate in every corner of Pennsylvania and work cooperatively with the private sector to train students for in-demand jobs that open the door to them to having family-sustaining careers and graduating with no student debt.

While Upper Bucks County Technical School does a great job of attracting and retaining students – it currently has a waiting list of over 170 students – Pennsylvania does a poor job of utilizing CTE resources at the high school level. Currently, we rank 36th out of 50 states in the portion of our students enrolled at CTE centers.

That means, as policymakers, we must work at the state level to incentivize more CTE education, work to provide resources to eliminate wait lists, and ensure we are providing students and families a viable path to the workforce through the strong training they can receive at CTE centers.

One of the things that we were reminded of at the hearing is that teachers at CTE centers have their training through real-world, practical experience, which they pass on. This gets students out of the theoretical world of the classroom and opens them up to highly trained and significantly qualified instructors who have walked a similar path to success and now want to pass on what they have learned to the next generation.

But we can do more to make it easier to transition real-world skills into classroom-ready lessons. Currently, only two colleges in Pennsylvania offer teaching certificate programs in career and technical education.

On top of that, the process of becoming certified to teach in Pennsylvania—whether in a traditional classroom setting or in the CTE arena—is demanding. The government must work to break down these barriers that have created the current teacher shortage and work to make it easier for the most highly trained and qualified to become teachers so they can pass on what they know.

In areas that could use increased CTE enrollment, we must also work to educate students and families on the benefits of career and technical education to break down stigmas associated with non-traditional education pathways about the increased earnings potential compared with those similarly positioned with a high school diploma, and how working in a family-sustaining job without student debt gives CTE graduates a leg up right at graduation.

Even more encouraging, we learned at the hearing that Artificial Intelligence or other future technologies do not easily displace CTE careers. These are career pathways that are secure now and into the future.

Clearly, there is more we can do to create a thriving economy in Pennsylvania, and that requires us to become more competitive with other states by having affordable living, lower taxes, and a workforce ready to take on jobs in community investment opportunities that will come our way.

As we look to make it easier to do business in Pennsylvania and to get a job here, incentivizing and utilizing CTE resources must be at the top of our list as we put forward policy to enhance our competitiveness and be a haven for the jobs of tomorrow.

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