Downingtown Area planning to launch its own cyber school -Daily Local News

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Downingtown Area planning to launch its own cyber school

Officials say similar schools are syphoning off funds


Saturday, January 8, 2011
By ERIC S. SMITH, Staff Writer

EAST CALN — To save money, the Downingtown Area School District wants to launch its own cyber school.

District Superintendent Lawrence Mussoline announced his plan for a cyber school Wednesday at the district's curriculum committee meeting. The committee and full school board will likely make a decision on how to proceed next month after obtaining more information on how many students may be interested.

Mussoline said he wants to start the school for students who live in the district but attend other cyber charter schools. He said those students collectively cost the district about $800,000.

"As the numbers grow, it's more money out of our pocket," Mussoline said. "If we can bring those students back (to the district), we can save that money, so that's the goal."

The district has 83 students enrolled in outside cyber charter schools, according to Mussoline. And the district pays more than $8,000 for every regular-education student and more than $19,000 for each special-education student enrolled in cyber charters.

Mussoline said he plans to tie the Downingtown Cyber Academy in with the Brandywine Virtual Academy, which is run by the Chester County Intermediate Unit and is part of the 21st Century Cyber Charter School.

Mussoline said courses through the academy cost $600. Therefore, seven courses would cost the district $4,200, which is about half of what it spends now.

The district plans to meet with parents of students in cyber charters Tuesday at its administration building. Mussoline said he does not believe all 83 students will be signed up for the district's cyber school, nor does he expect the parents of all 83 to be at Tuesday's meeting. He said his hope is to get about 10 students to start the program.

"If we don't look for ways to create our own, we will continue to lose students and lose general fund money," Mussoline said.

The cyber school would allow those students who graduate to receive a Downingtown Area diploma as opposed to a diploma from whatever cyber school they currently attend, Mussoline said. He said he would like to start the cyber school by the beginning of next school year. Brandywine Virtual Academy already has Pennsylvania accredited courses in place, so the timeline could be achieved.

Mussoline said another benefit of the district having its own cyber school would be that students could receive a "blended" education. In other words, students would be able to take the majority of their classes online but could come into one of the district's school for classroom instruction in one particular course, namely a high-level science or math.

"I think that's a great option — an option they've never had before," Mussoline said.

Mussoline said another benefit to potential students would be the quality of education provided at Downingtown Area as opposed to other cyber charters. The district has been achieving a much higher rate of proficiency on state standardized tests than the cyber charters that district students attend. The district has scored about 30 percent higher on those proficiency levels than the best cyber charter, he said.

"We are blowing the doors off every cyber charter out there, as far as student achievement," Mussoline said.

The 21st century Cyber Charter School, which encompasses Brandywine Virtual Academy, is the second-highest achieving cyber charter and lags behind the best school by fractions of a percentage.

The district's cyber school will be a magnet school that is part of the district as opposed to a charter school, Mussoline said.

To contact staff writer Eric S. Smith, send an e-mail to esmith@dailylocal.com.

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