That’s right, current students were asked to share their success stories with the virtual academy. Administrators hope their words resonate with other students who are contemplating leaving the district to attend a cyber charter school or might want to return to public schools.

So far, so good.

Virtual Academy Coordinator Travis Quici said seven students who had expressed intentions of attending cyber charter schools this fall decided to remain in the district.

“People decided to stay,” Quici said. “One of them had a former connection with athletics. They all had a common bond about why they decided to stay here.”

Submitted photo A student uses his tablet during an online lesson.

At last week’s Juniata County School District Board of Directors workshop meeting at the Administration Building in Mifflintown, Quici offered a positive update on the virtual academy and shared some of the current students’ experiences with the virtual academy, which are posted on its website.

Students favored the virtual academy over a traditional classroom setting because it enabled them to work at their own pace, spending more time on lessons they did not understand and less time on ones where they grasped the subject. Additionally, the virtual academy has helped their mental health by reducing stress and increasing motivation. A flexible schedule also enables students to work at their own pace.

It also opened doors of opportunity for others, including one who works at East Juniata Elementary as a student intern. There’s nothing more valuable than gaining real hands-on experience.

The flexibility of online learning has proven to be the biggest benefit to a few more. This Virtual Academy has allowed one student to adapt and prepare their career choice which is traveling with race teams around the country.

“Not all careers begin after graduation or are available at any time,” Quici said. Not being available when an opportunity arises can mean a student gets passed by and misses an opportunity of a lifetime.

The option of the Virtual Academy allows opportunities that best fit the students.

Quici read, “The teachers are nice, and don’t assign super hard work. If you’re thinking about joining JCVA, do it.”

The words of encouragement don’t get much better than that for the Virtual Academy, whose motto is to “accept challenges, pursue goals and become lifelong learners.”

Early in the game

Long before the launch of the Virtual Academy, Quici was drawing up Xs and Os as a girls’ basketball coach at East Juniata High School.

Now as the athletic director for the Juniata County School District, Quici still has that sports mindset.

Effective July 1, 2025, Quici started as the virtual academy’s first coordinator. District Superintendent of Schools Christie Holderman also said advertising campaigns will be launched to inform parents and students about the alternative education options that the district offers in an attempt to not only retain current students but attempt to regain students who left for cyber charters.

Quici will receive a stipend of $15,000. The district sees the hiring as the first step in trying to turn the tide against cyber charters.

“We are happy with one student,” Holderman said. “We just want to make sure our families are aware of the opportunity for a virtual program with the Juniata County School District. Choice allows us to be flexible and provide an educational experience that fits the student and the family needs.”

At the end of the day, no matter the reason, the district sees the tax dollars stay in Juniata County.

Retaining seven students is a drop in the bucket as Quici believes there are at least 70 students out there who attend cyber charter schools who the district would like to retain.

The fact that help was available to these students so close to home was a deciding factor in some cases. “We had some kids who decided to stay because they could come in and get help with labs, assignments, books and get clarification on science and math,” Quici said.

The students were also able to save on buying books as they checked them out of the library. “We loaned them out to them, and they could pick up what they needed,” Quici added. The fact that its “local, really local” was a dealbreaker for some. “It’s going to take us a year or two to get established.”

The fact that school officials brought three students back from Commonwealth Charter Academy and convinced another four to stay is certainly impressive.

Budget battle

The district increased taxes this year, but there is still a six-figure deficit. Tuition costs for cyber charters consume about 10 percent of the district’s budget for the 2025-26 school year.

While the state is trying to pass reforms to overhaul its antiquated funding formula, the district isn’t sitting around waiting. Their approach is retention.

“It’s our Achilles heel,” said Director Douglas Kline at the same meeting. “It’s unsustainable on our current course.”

Directors and administrators in the district held contentious budget talks, which could have been avoided with state reforms on cyber charters.

“We would not be having these discussions,” Holderman said. “If we were to remove charter school tuition from our budget, we would not be raising taxes and we would have the financial means to take care of maintenance projects as well as provide enhancements to our educational programs. Charter school funding is unfair and puts undue financial burden on school districts across Pennsylvania.”

“We would not be having a tax increase,” District Business Manager Rich Meily added. “The amount we pay is calculated on our expenses, and it’s going to go up every year.”

That’s why retention and reform are so precious to the district.

Pennsylvania cyber charter schools receive more than $1 billion in taxpayer funding each year, money that should be used to educate students, hire teachers and support classrooms. Instead, millions are spent on questionable expenses with little oversight or accountability, according to the Pennsylvania Association of School Administrators.

This is why administrators and directors in Juniata County are stressing the alternative to students in a cyber charter to come back, or at least take the time to see what they have to offer.