Hearing on Cyber Schools Draws Large Crowd to Allentown

August 22, 2006

Cyber schooling -- it's a high-tech way to go to school on-line. The question is: Who should pay for it? That's the question raised at a hearing in Allentown today, drawing people from all over the state. But it turns out House Bill 26- 16 isn't the only reason folks are upset tonight.

WFMZ's Carl Madonna tells us more.

They drove from as far away as Pittsburgh to voice concern over House Bill 2616. A bill many say will take vital funding away from cyber charter schools essentially shutting them down.

But when folks arrived, they found out the hearing that was rumored to be held in the South Mountain Middle School Auditorium was moved to the school's library , keeping many on the outside looking in.

Jesse Green:
"...you can't even explain how upset we are."

Rodden:
"...it's very disappointing, we have children sitting everywhere, we have families who brought children in wheelchairs because they can't attend a regular school and they were forced to sit out here as well."

Now we were told by a representative of the Education Committee that this hearing was moved from the auditorium to the library because of air conditioning.

Lynn Rodden:

"...they didn't want us to be in an un air-conditioned room yet they forced all of us to stand out here in an unconditioned hallway."

Beyer:

"...we figured it would be more comfortable for folks, we figured it we got a big crowd we could rotate them in and out so they could get a flavor for the meeting." -- "...we tried but Ralph said, the principal Karen there's no air conditioning in that room, I wouldn't recommend it so that's what we did."

Madonna:
The hearing itself featured emotional debate from cyber school families and from representatives of public schools.

State Representative Karen Beyer who authored HB 2616 says she is not trying to shut down cyber schools only shift their funding so that local school districts no longer shoulder the burden on cyber students.

Karen Beyer:
"...my bill shifts the funding from school districts to the department of education who is supposed to be overseeing cyber charter schools."

Madonna:
The testimony heard here Tuesday will be used to determine how many public hearings on the issue should be scheduled.

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