Policy Committee emphasize fairness in cyber charter reform
Reps. Haddock and Pashinski examine cyber charter school reform
Pennsylvania House Democratic Caucus February 9, 2026 | 4:53 PM
NEWTON TWP., Feb. 9 – State lawmakers underscored the need for fairness, transparency and accountability in school funding. Officials emphasized that public education funding should be tied to outcomes and applied equitably across all school systems to ensure taxpayer dollars are spent responsibly.
“Accountability is necessary in school funding, and lawmakers are tasked with making sure we are doing the right thing – for students as well as taxpayers,” said Rep. Jim Haddock, who represents portions of Lackawanna County. “Cyber charter reform has nothing to do with eliminating school choice. Families still have that choice, but after examining the outcomes at cyber charter schools, it was clear changes were needed to ensure accountability.
“People are hurting and affordability is on everyone’s minds,” Haddock said. “Last year I voted for a Pennsylvania budget, which included cyber charter savings of $178 million for our homeowners.”
The hearing took place at Abington Heights Middle School, and a recorded livestream of the hearing can be found here.
“I came to the House of Representative after nearly four decades as an educator, and I can assure you that students learn in different ways – and every student has a special gift,” said Rep. Eddie Day Pashinski, who represents portions of Luzerne County. “Our purpose today was to gather information to guide us in attempting to make sure our public school system, which includes cyber charter schools, are accountable for conducting the proper education under the same standards and requirements to produce the desired outcome.”
Abington Heights School District Superintendent Dr. Christopher Shaffer testified about his school’s graduation rate, noting the great disparity between the results at his school in comparison to Commonwealth Cyber Charter.
“Accountability isn’t optional when it comes to education. If cyber charter schools receive public funding, they must meet the same expectations as traditional schools. Right now, they’re not,” said House Majority Policy Chairman Ryan Bizzarro (D-Erie). “We owe it to families and taxpayers to continue holding cyber charter schools accountable and ensure every student is set up for success.”
The General Assembly implemented cyber charter school reform in the 2025-2026 budget signed in December. The changes include allowing public schools to deduct more expenses from their cyber charter tuition, reducing districts’ total payment to charter schools. The budget deal also tightened wellness checks for students, truancy crackdowns and student address verification.
Monday’s House Majority Policy hearing featured testimony from Christopher Shaffer, the superintendent at Abington Heights School District; Anthony Abdalla, a member of Abington Heights School Board of Directors; Peter Butera, a member of the Wyoming Area School District School Board.
Information about this hearing and other House Majority Policy Committee hearings can be found at pahouse.com/policy. Photos to be used for publication can be found at pahouse.com/PolicyCommittee/Galleries.