HARRISBURG – Once again targeting families seeking the best educational options for their children, Governor Tom Wolf today went to an Altoona school to repeat his efforts to limit public charter school opportunities in Pennsylvania.

“The governor is seeking to punish families who dare to leave their failing school districts,” said Ana Meyers, executive director of the Pennsylvania Coalition of Public Charter Schools. “We have been working with lawmakers on commonsense reforms. However, the governor would rather attack charter school families and take away their options for a better school than work with them.”

“We will continue to push for fairness for all public school students,” she added.

Meyers noted that the governor has held several press events discussing closing public charter schools and placing restrictions on them. Meyers said charter school families are tired of being treated like second-class citizens by the governor.

“Governor Wolf should seek accountability from all public schools, not just public charter schools,” Meyers said. “We believe that every school should be judged based on the same standards for education. Wolf’s treatment is unfair to charter school families, many of whom are minorities and disadvantaged, who are just seeking a better education and future for their child.”

Meyers noted that 93 percent of all public school students attend school districts and, yet, Wolf has spent the past month holding news conferences focused on punishing families who dare to leave their assigned school districts.

She added that the governor also discusses financial difficulties faced by school districts. However, he does not disclose that charter school students receive approximately 25 percent less funding than students in school districts. She said school districts keep about a quarter of the taxpayer dollars for every student that enrolls in a public charter school.

Meyers renewed her call on the governor to visit charter schools and meet with charter school families. Meyers noted that there are 180 Pennsylvania public charter schools, which teach more than 140,000 students.

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Media Contact
Jessica Hickernell
717-371-8155
j.hickernell@pacharters.org

About PCPCS:
The Pennsylvania Coalition of Public Charter Schools (PCPCS), is the state’s largest and most active organization advocating for both brick-and-mortar and cyber charter schools. Pennsylvania’s 180 charter schools educate 140,000+ students and demand for these public schools continue to grow with more than 40,000 students on charter school waitlists. For more information on PCPCS or charters schools, visit www.pacharters.org.