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Financial Impact

Steelton-Highspire School District Cyber Charter Yearly Bill: 5.5 MILLION!

Cyber school commercials that are claiming "Free Private Cyber School" - there is nothing free about it! Steelton-Highspire School District (YOUR taxes) pay for that. The price SHSD is charged is nowhere near the cost of a student being educated in our district. Most are 3 times the cost of a district run cyber program. These bills are making local district budgets go in the negative. These charter schools are FOR PROFIT! Right now as local districts are asking teachers to sacrifice salary/benefits, cutting programs, etc., charter schools are not being asked to reduce what they charge SHSD - their bill must be paid before districts can pay their own bills.

Due to the fixed cost of $5.5 million dollars related to cyber/charter schools, our school district students do not receive the resources they deserve within our school district. This leads to increased costs related to special education and transportation as follows:

Charter Schools Expenses Bar Chart

Charter School Expenses:

Year Actual
2024 $4,979,131
2023 $4,935,731
2022 $4,834,109
2021 $4,507,068
2020 $3,446,806
2019 $2,692,799
2018 $2,660,193
2017 $2,127,098
2016 $2,654,398
2015 $1,761,900
2014 $1,750,831
2013 $1,786,166

Special Education Placement Expenses:

Year Actual
2007 $1,090,664
2008 $888,082
2009 $1,348,840
2010 $1,591,957
2011 $1,520,868
2012 $1,032,607
2013 $707,830
2014 $974,027
2015 $799,067
2016 $689,543
2017 $1,212,868
2018 $1,317,042
2019 $1,365,881
2020 $2,010,748
2021 $1,603,321
2022 $1,952,614
2023 $1,874,996
2024 $1,992,660