Cyber charter shutters two centers, citing state budget impasse

More than 20 children enrolled at a cyber charter school are scrambling to make other arrangements after the school abruptly shuttered two tutoring centers Friday.

Officials at the Education Plus Academy Cyber Charter School said financial problems caused by Pennsylvania's budget stalemate prompted them to close the Brandywine Achievement Center in Exton and the Bridgeville Partner Tutoring Center in Allegheny County.

A dozen students received regular help and tutoring at the Exton center; nine went to Bridgeville.

"It is a sad day for our students, their families, and our staff," Lydia E. Jerchau, head of school, said in an email to The Inquirer. "Our team is working with those students and their families to ensure that their education is not negatively impacted and that services will continue despite their being uprooted from those centers."

In an email dated Wednesday and sent to some parents Friday, Education Plus officials said the lack of a state budget had caused a critical cash-flow problem.

To continue operating, the cyber charter cut seven administrative positions and the salaries of the remaining administrators.

Nicholas Torres, the CEO, said it had to reduce costs to match the projected revenue the school receives from school districts "until the state budget passes."

It said it hoped to accommodate the displaced students at its six remaining learning and tutoring centers, or to provide online instruction to students in their homes.

Education Plus, based in Wayne, got into trouble with the state Department of Education for operating more like a regular charter school than an online school. It closed four centers in late August to comply with state directives.

Education Plus is one of 14 cyber charter schools in the state, and had nearly 800 students in the 2014-15 school year.

With no state budget in place for the fiscal year that began July 1, school districts, charter schools, and nonprofit organizations have borrowed money, taken out lines of credit, and cut expenses.

At Fell Charter Elementary School in Lackawanna County, for example, the 180 students moved to a four-day week Monday. The school's teachers are working without pay.

The Pennsylvania Coalition of Public Charter Schools said Friday that it did not know of any other cyber charters that had closed centers because there was no state budget.

martha.woodall@phillynews.com 215-854-2789 @marwooda