Bullying and safety concerns remain among top reasons parents choose a public cyber charter school: study

Leslie Penkunas//October 21, 2019

A survey of families with children enrolled at Commonwealth Charter Academy (CCA), a Pennsylvania K-12 public cyber charter school, revealed that bullying and safety in their local school district rank as two of the top reasons for enrolling at CCA. The survey was conducted to understand better how to accommodate and meet the needs of the cyber charter’s more than 9,000 students enrolled statewide.

The 2019 survey’s results show the continued concern families have for their children in traditional public school settings. The top four reasons why families choose CCA’s cyber-based learning are: flexible schedules (46 percent); not feeling safe in a previous school (34 percent); anxiety, depression or medical issues (31 percent); and being bullied (29 percent), a 53 percent increase over the previous year in which only 19 percent of parents cited bullying as a reason to enroll their children in a cyber charter school.

Although October is National Bullying Prevention Month, “all schools should be focused on ensuring a safe and secure learning environment for all students, year-round,” states CCA in a release announcing its survey results. And while lessons are offered online, students at the cyber charter can engage with counselors and members of the Student Assistance Program (SAP) at anytime throughout the day to talk through concerns or receive mental health support. Additionally, all CCA staff complete training in cyberbullying prevention and harassment awareness.

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