Internet-based schooling is the latest twist as Pennsylvania's public schools try to keep up with changing demands. Two such cyber-schools are already operating, four more will start in September , and applications for more than 70 others are pending. While some educators say Internet-based schools are the perfect way for public education to adapt in the information age, critics worry that education conducted over electronic circuits may be a little too thin. Arguments over the viability of education conducted exclusively online are not limited to Pennsylvania, as Internet-based charter schools are appearing more frequently around the country. The most recent Internet-based school to be approved locally is the 21st Century Cyber Charter School, developed for 180 high school students by the intermediate units in the Pennsylvania suburbs.
Some officials say Internet-based schooling marks an exciting transition to new models of learning.
The Internet-based charter schools operate under the same regulations as other charter schools, as authorized by the state's 1997 Charter School Law. Charter schools are supported by tax money but are viewed as alternatives to public schools because they are exempt from some regulations. For-profit companies are not permitted to apply for school charters in most states, but they are allowed to manage the schools. The home district of any student who attends a charter school pays the charter school a per-student fee, set by the legislature. Each Pennsylvania charter school must get a local school district as its sponsor.