Charter schools are tax-supported public schools established by a charter between a school board and an outside group that operates the school without most local and state educational regulations.
Cyber-charter schools, or cyberschools, provide academic instruction predominantly via the Internet to students receiving instruction in their homes or locations other than a classroom supervised by a teacher.
In 2006-07, there were approximately 15,838 Pennsylvania students enrolled in cyberschools. While those students come from 497 school districts, the majority of cyberschool students come from fewer than 20% of the commonwealth's school districts.
Tuition rates vary from one cyber-charter school to another.
Cyberschools cost taxpayers $ 68.4 million in 2004-05.
Only three of 12 cyber-charter schools met the federal requirements for "Adequate Yearly Progress" for the 2005-06 academic year.
Cyberschools are not held to the same requirement as public school districts in Pennsylvania that limits them to holding a fund balance equal to 8%-12% of the budget. The Pennsylvania Department of Education reports that five of the state's 12 cyber-charter schools have unreserved fund balances of more than 30%.
