In a cynical attempt to get enough votes to pass Senate Bill 1–the massive school privatization bill–Republicans approved an amendment in the Senate Education Committee that removes the statewide charter school authorizer (this is good) and includes what amounts to a 2% off coupon for school districts’ cyber charter school tuition bills (this is insulting).

The bill’s supporters are hoping that their constituents will believe that a 2% off coupon is real cyber charter school funding reform that will provide relief to school districts and taxpayers.

Don’t be fooled.

Click HERE to tell your lawmakers to continue to oppose the amended Senate Bill 1 and the 2% off coupon on cyber charter school tuition it contains.

Cyber charter schools are so awash in excess taxpayer funding that they have been giving their students Target gift cards, cell phones and even cash payments. One cyber even spent a whopping $1,000/student on advertising.

Meanwhile, school districts throughout the Commonwealth have been raising property taxes to pay more than $1 billion in cyber charter tuition bills this year and have begged state lawmakers for funding reforms that will offer relief.

More than 400 school districts have passed resolutions in support of REAL charter school funding reforms. Governor Wolf’s proposal and House Bill 272 would save taxpayers $395 million each year by enacting a flat rate for cyber charters and applying the special education funding formula to all charters.

The amended SB 1 would save school districts a total of $111 million over three years–or an average of just 2%– over that time period.

The amended SB 1 proposes to reduce tuition rates by a flat amount for each district

Year 1: $250/regular education student, $500/special education student

Year 2: $500/regular education student, $1000/special education student

Year 3: $750/regular education student, $1500/special education student

BUT–a lack of actual funding reforms and a continued built-in increase in charter school tuition rates in current law guarantee that tuition rates will continue to rise each year, negating the impact of this proposed 2% off coupon.

And the amendment fails to remove and automatic escalator in funding for the Educational Improvement Tax Credit and Opportunity Scholarship Tax Credit programs that would cost $1 billion in just five years.

Click HERE to tell your state lawmakers to oppose Senate Bill 1 and to get to work on REAL charter school funding reform that will provide their constituents the relief they need.

We will let you know what happens to Senate Bill as it moves to the full Senate.