Pennsylvania Online High Schools

BELLEFONTE — Last June, Bellefonte administrators told school board members that creating an online cyber school could save the district about $40,000, provided the program drew at least 10 students away from charter schools.

It didn’t. Instead, in the program’s first year, the district spent $57,578, mostly for tuition and hardware costs, according to a report presented Tuesday night by curriculum and instruction director Cathy Brachbill.

Bellefonte’s online program attracted 17 full-time and eight part-time students — but only two had previously been attending a cyber charter school.

“It was a learning process for us,” Brachbill told the school board, adding, “We had some real successes, and we have had some real challenges.”

Bellefonte’s struggles show the difficulty schools can face when they compete with established cyber charter schools — something districts have been working harder at in recent years. Bald Eagle Area, Philipsburg- Osceola and Penns Valley have all created their own cyber programs, and State College officials have discussed the idea.

For the rest of the article, go to Bellefonte examines online program