PA Cyber performs well in audit released by state Auditor General Wagner

MIDLAND, Pa., Dec. 6, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Officials at the Pennsylvania Cyber Charter School today applauded state Auditor General Jack Wagner for his thorough and thoughtful audit of the school, which found that PA Cyber "complied, in all significant respects, with applicable state laws, contracts, grant requirements, and administrative procedures."

The auditor general's office released the 36-page audit after more than a three-year, exhaustive review of the school's operations, which among other things, addressed overall compliance with the Public School Code; the school's special education and health services; enrollment and tuition procedures; adherence to the Ethics Act; teacher and staff qualifications; and, school safety.

"We strive every day to give Pennsylvania's children unique, innovative educational opportunities that will help them excel. We expected nothing less of ourselves as we carry out our daily obligations to the taxpayers," said Dr. Michael J. Conti, interim CEO of PA Cyber. "That we fulfilled our obligation to a thorough and efficient system of public education – well, that's just great news."

"It is so important that PA Cyber conforms to the highest standards, and in fact sets the standards to which other schools should be held," Conti said. "That's why we worked hand-in-hand with General Wagner and his staff to assure they had access to everything they needed throughout the audit."

Conti underscored the fact that the additional observations in the final audit are outside the scope of the law, but emphasized that many of them were addressed in legislation to reform the initial Charter School Law enacted in 1997.

"PA Cyber has been at the forefront of commonsense reform for the past several legislative sessions," Conti said. "We are hopeful that the General Assembly will have more success in the new session in passing an overhaul."

The legislation considered by the General Assembly would have revamped the 1997 law to make sure high-performing charter schools thrive and financial mismanagement and academic problems are prevented. It also would have established greater checks and balances, and mandated additional oversight and accountability on administrators and board members by requiring them to adhere to the state's Ethics Act, and clearly prohibited conflicts of interest.

contact:

Jill Valentine
[email protected]
724-643-1180, ext. 1036

SOURCE PA Cyber Charter School