Johnstown Tribune-Democrat Refuses to Print CCA’s Response to Opinion Editorial

The Johnstown Tribune-Democrat on April 19, 2025, published an opinion editorial authored by the superintendents of Conemaugh Township Area School District, Ferndale Area School District, Forest Hills School District, Greater Johnstown School District, Richland School District, Westmont Hilltop School District, and Windber Area School District that was critical of families who send their children to public cyber charter schools.

CCA on April 20, 2025, submitted a letter to the editor to the newspaper in response to the superintendents’ opinion editorial. Unfortunately, the Tribune-Democrat has refused to print the following rebuttal:

Letter to the Editor, Johnstown Tribune-Democrat

April 20, 2025

Dear Editor:

It was outrageous to read the unabashed contempt shown by Nicole Dull, Jeffrey Boyer, Dave Lehman, Amy Arcurio, Arnold Nadonley, Thomas Mitchell, and Michael J. Vuckovich – local school district superintendents – toward families who choose public cyber charter schools (“Cyber charter reform must go beyond money,” April 19).

Their arrogance drips with elitism and insults every parent who dares to decide what’s best for their own children. According to these superintendents, cyber charter students are “isolated” and lack “teamwork, mentorship, and accountability” – as if the only effective education happens under their control. It’s no wonder families are fleeing school districts in droves.

These superintendents sit comfortably in their ivory towers atop bureaucratic empires, pretending to know better than the families they’re supposed to serve. They ignore the fact that parents choose cyber charter schools for flexibility, safety, individualized attention, and, yes, better results.

Collectively, these districts have amassed $62.4 million in reserves (30% of total expenditures) and spend more than $212 million a year, yet cyber charter costs make up less than 4% of that. Instead of fixing their own bloated budgets, where pensions and benefits eat up over one-third of their spending, they deflect blame onto families who’ve had enough.

Maybe it’s time they stop pointing fingers and start asking why so many families are walking away.