Pennsylvania Bulletin, September 11, 2021

The Department of Education (Department) will conduct a public hearing regarding a cyber charter school application received on August 11, 2021. The hearing will be held on October 14, 2021, in Heritage Room A, lobby level, 333 Market Street, Harrisburg, PA 17126, at 9:00 a.m. Login information to access the hearing virtually will be posted to the Department’s Division of Charter School’s Applications webpage at https://www.education.pa.gov/K-12/Charter%20Schools/Pages/Charter-Applications.aspx.

The hearing pertains to an applicant seeking to operate a new cyber charter school beginning in the 2022-2023 school year. The purpose of the hearing is to gather information from the applicant about the proposed cyber charter schools as well as receive comments from interested individuals regarding any application. The name of the applicant, copies of the application and a listing of the date and time scheduled for the hearing on the application can be viewed on the Department’s web site on or after September 6, 2021, at www.education.pa.gov.

Individuals who wish to provide comments on the application during the hearing must provide a copy of their written comments to the Department and the applicant on or before October 8, 2021. Comments provided by this deadline and presented at the hearing will become part of the certified record concerning the application. Failure to comply with this deadline will preclude the individual from providing comments at the hearing. Verbal comments may be limited based on the number of individuals requesting time to provide comments. Persons who are unable to attend the hearing may provide the Department and the applicant with written comments on or before October 8, 2021, and any written comments will become part of the certified record.

The hearing will be conducted by a panel of individuals who have completed an initial review of the application. Panel members may question the applicant on issues identified during the initial review, as well as issues raised in the written comments filed by the deadline. Panel members may also question individuals who offer verbal comments. Commentators will not be permitted to question either the applicant or the panel members.

Comments sent to the Department should be addressed to the Division of Charter Schools, 333 Market Street, 3rd Floor, Harrisburg, PA 17126-0333, in addition to being e-mailed to the Division of Charter Schools (Division) at ra-charterschools@pa.gov. Comments sent to an applicant should be addressed using the contact information contained within the application by mail, in addition to being e-mailed. The hearing agenda will be prepared no later than October 8, 2021, when the Department is aware of the number of individuals who wish to provide verbal comments at the hearing. The hearing agenda will provide the order of presentation, as well as specify the amount of time allotted to each commentator.

The hearing agenda will be posted under Charter School Applications on the Department’s web site at https://www.education.pa.gov/K-12/Charter%20Schools/Pages/Charter-Applications.aspx.

For questions regarding this hearing, contact the Division at ra-charterschools@pa.gov.

Click here for more information.