Costs of cyber school tuition are growing in all Lancaster County school districts, according to a Jan. 16 Sunday News story by Gil Smart: articles.Lancaster online.com/local/4/338235
While the story did not include Octorara School District figures, numbers from business manager Dan Carsley show the district budgeted $417,000 for charter school payments in 2010-11; $392,665 in 2009-10; and $285,610 in 2008-09. Carsley says increasing charter school tuition costs are one factor negatively impacting district revenues.
School board member Sam Ganow suggested during a recent board meeting that Octorara administrators call cyber school parents to ascertain why students switched, and what could be done to keep the students, and the revenue, in the district budget.
Smart’s story states one school district, Solanco, began their own cyber school to save costs.
Two years ago Octorara Superintendent Tom Newcome, in a move to trim the budget while still providing services, began a twilight alternative education program which saved the school district at least $150,000 in tuition formerly paid to outside special education programs. Octorara graduated its first four students last June.