Agora Cyber Charter School CEO Rich Jensen is closely watching the negotiations for the state budget.
In February, Gov. Josh Shapiro unveiled his budget proposal that included a cap of $8,000 per student per year that public school districts have to pay for students attending cyber schools.
On June 10, the Democratic-controlled House of Representatives passed school funding legislation that included Shapiro’s cap.
The Republican-controlled Senate has not weighed in as the June 30 deadline approaches to pass a budget.
Education spending is expected to be the centerpiece of the budget, which most onlookers expect to be passed after the deadline.
Jensen, whose school educates about 4,700 students across the state, argues against the proposed cut, saying one size fits all does not apply when it comes to education. He said students come to Agora for various reasons, including concerns about school safety.
“I’m a huge supporter of school choice,” he said. “It’s really important that there are options available for parents.”
In Pennsylvania, there are 13 cyber schools, educating about 60,000 students.
Jensen said each of the 13 cybers are different.
“We are looking to be laboratories of innovation,” he said.
The Pennsylvania Coalition of Public Charter Schools is lobbying lawmakers to keep the proposed cut out of the final budget. Jensen described the proposed cuts as “devastating.” He thinks an $8,000 cap would equal a 40-percent cut for his school, would force Agora to change its model and would probably lead to a downsizing in staff.
“We’re still hopeful,” he said.
Brick-and-mortar public schools are expected to get a huge boost in funding, and Jensen said cybers cannot absorb cuts because their expenses are rising like any other school.
Jensen said Agora is a nonprofit, adding it’s a myth to label it for-profit.
Other criticisms about cyber schools include low graduation rates for high school students over four years, but Jensen said cyber schools often have students who have failed ninth grade and have few credits. They eventually graduate.
“It may take five years. It may take six years,” he said.
In addition, critics point to low standardized test scores, though Jensen said students are usually coming from schools that are not working for them.
“We’re trying to figure out how we close the gap,” he said.
Jensen said 80 percent of the Agora faculty have a master’s degree, while others have a doctorate, showing the teachers are continually striving to learn.
Agora uses a synchronous model, with students learning along with peers across the state in what the school tries to make an interactive, engaging and participatory environment. That model, Jensen said, worked well during COVID.
While the education is done online, Jensen pointed to Agora’s family coaches, who are geographically based and act as a liaison between the school and family. These family coaches also help to organize Agora Days Out events that bring students and families together for in-person events and socialization, all part of building a sense of belonging. ••
