DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Cyber Charter School Applications; Public Hearings [43 Pa.B. 6011]
[Saturday, October 12, 2013]The Department of Education (Department) has scheduled three public hearings regarding six cyber charter school applications that it received on or before October 1, 2013. The hearings will be held on November 15, 2013, November 21, 2013, and November 22, 2013, in Heritage Rooms A and B, lobby level, 333 Market Street, Harrisburg, PA 17126, beginning at 9 a.m. on each day. The hearings pertain to applicants seeking to operate a cyber charter school beginning in the 2014-2015 school year, which include Insight PA Cyber Charter School, Acclaim Cyber Charter School, Synergy Cyber Charter School, Provost Academy Cyber Charter School, iSEEK Academy Cyber Charter School and The HOPE Leadership Cyber Charter School. The purpose of the hearings is to gather information from the applicants about the proposed cyber charter schools as well as receive comments from interested individuals regarding the applications. The applications and a listing of the dates and times scheduled for the hearing on each application can be viewed on the Department's web site at www.education.state.pa.us.
Individuals who wish to provide comments during the hearing on an application must provide a copy of their written comments to the Department and the applicant on or before November 1, 2013. Comments provided by this deadline and presented at the hearing will become part of the certified record. Failure to comply with this deadline will preclude the individual from providing comments at the hearings. Verbal comments may be limited based on the number of individuals requesting time to provide comments and may be limited if the comments are duplicative or repetitive of another individual's comments. Persons who are unable to attend the hearing may also provide the Department and the applicant with written comments on or before November 8, 2013. Written comments provided to the Department by this deadline will also become part of the certified record.
During the public hearing on an application, the cyber charter applicant will have 30 minutes to present information about the proposed cyber charter school. Each hearing will be conducted by the panel of individuals who have completed an initial review of the application. The panel members may question the applicant regarding issues identified during their 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 Elizabeth Anzalone, Charter Schools Office, 333 Market Street, 10th Floor, Harrisburg, PA 17126-0333. Hearing agendas will be prepared after November 1, 2013, when the Department is aware of the number of individuals who wish to provide verbal comments at each hearing. The hearing agenda will provide the order of presentation, as well as specify the amount of time allotted to each commentator. Hearing agendas will be posted under Charter School Administration on the Department's web site at the following link http://www.portal.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt/community/charter_schools/7356.
For questions regarding these hearings, contact Elizabeth Anzalone at (717) 787-9744 or charterschools@pa.gov.
CAROLYN C. DUMARESQ, Ed.D.,
Acting Secretary[Pa.B. Doc. No. 13-1901. Filed for public inspection October 11, 2013, 9:00 a.m.]
