PA denies three new midstate cyber charter schools

(Harrisburg) -- The state has denied applications to create eight new cyber charter schools in Pennsylvania, including three in the midstate.

State Education Secretary Ronald Tomalis has cited significant deficiencies in curriculum, finances and overall operations in rejecting the proposals. 

The eight had applied to operate beginning this fall, and public hearings were held by the Education Department on the proposals last November. 

Three of the rejected proposals were based in central Pennsylvania. The Mercury Online Cyber Charter School and the V3 Cyber Charter School would have been in Dauphin County and the Urban Cyber Charter School would have been in York County.

The commonwealth currently has 16 cyber charters, which are publicly funded online schools.

Last year, more than 33,000 Pennsylvania students were enrolled in cyber charters.

A Stanford University study released in 2011 found cyber charters in the state performed worse in reading and math than both brick-and-mortar charters and traditional schools.