MORRISVILLE, Pennsylvania -- Embattled cyberschool Einstein Academy is slated to go offline for good.
On Wednesday the Morrisville school board voted overwhelmingly to revoke Einstein's charter, potentially pulling the plug on a controversial academy whose launch ignited a firestorm of political debate over virtual education.
Board President Ken Junkins said board members voted 8-0 in favor of revoking the charter, with one abstention. "We felt that the problems with the school were so great that the education of these students was imperiled. There was more danger to these children from attending the school than not attending," he said.
The decision comes after the board held two months of hearings prompted by allegations of financial irregularities, mismanagement and numerous violations of state education guidelines.
Einstein Academy started its second school year in September with approximately 670 students, down from 2,700 at the beginning of the 2001-02 school year. Einstein's students are given a computer and free Internet access, and receive all instruction and coursework online.
Junkins said that while parents testified at the hearings claiming both satisfaction and concern about the school's effectiveness, the "disenrollment of those 2,000 students speaks strongly." He said the school's failure to provide services to special education students who can't participate in public education -- a primary justification for chartering the virtual school -- was its most glaring violation.
Einstein can appeal the decision, which would allow it to stay online until the Pennsylvania Department of Education renders a decision, which usually takes 30 to 45 days.
Calls made to Einstein for comment were not returned -- which may not be surprising for a school without a leader.
According to Morrisville school superintendent John Gould, who helps to oversee the school's operations, the school has had three chief executives, including two in the past three months. Barry Delit, chairman of the board of directors at Einstein, is now the de facto president.
Gould said Einstein hasn't received most of the funds the school district had earmarked for it for this year because it failed to file the proper paperwork, resulting in mounting bills and unpaid teachers.
Einstein was one of the first online schools in the state to receive a charter. The school met with immediate opposition in the form of lawsuits from school districts and school boards (PDF) that sought to shut down the school because it could enroll students from across the state and was operating outside the control of the Department of Education.
Junkins said Pennsylvania rewrote its cyberschool law in July to move chartering authority from individual districts to the state board of education, largely due to the experience with Einstein.
Nevertheless, Junkins said, he believes that "cybereducation has great potential for the commonwealth."
Gould, who was instrumental in getting Einstein's charter approved, said everyone involved has learned valuable lessons.
"We tell kids, 'It's good to learn from your mistakes,' and that's what we're doing," he said.
