The AP tracked more than $550 million in federal pandemic education aid that went to virtual charter schools across the U.S., where online learning was already the norm before the coronavirus outbreak. By cbinkley
IT Support Specialist Joe Coladonato, left, and Tech Support Specialist Jaquan Robinson, right, work at Agora Cyber Charter School, Wednesday, Aug. 4, 2021, in King of Prussia, Pa. At Agora, officials said they have no plans to use the full $38 million the school was awarded and are exploring whether it’s possible to return unused money.
The infusion of federal relief has inflamed a decadeslong debate about the role of the nation’s 200-plus fully virtual charter schools, which are publicly funded schools that operate independently or under the umbrella of public school districts. They generally offer classes through online learning platforms provided by private companies.Leaders of online schools say virtual charters offer a valuable option for students who don’t do well in traditional classrooms.
Of the 76 virtual schools tracked by the AP, more than a third are operated by the industry’s two largest companies, Stride Inc. and Connections Academy. Others are run by different for-profit companies, while some are run by nonprofits or state or local governments. Marsh said he sees both sides of the debate over federal relief. His school’s transition to pandemic teaching was relatively smooth, he said, but there were some new costs. The federal funding helped purchase computers and monitors for teachers, for instance, and new software to help students who are learning English.
Pennsylvania, long a battleground in the cyber school debate, saw the largest sum, with $235 million going to 11 virtual schools. Those allotments rankled leaders of some traditional schools who said the money was desperately needed in public districts. “Cyber charter school students are not second-class students,” Eller said. “Just because they attend a cyber charter doesn’t mean they should receive less funding.”In April 2020, as students flocked to online charters, the financial chief for Stride Inc. told investors that COVID-19 would bring “a lasting tailwind to online education.
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