Reject cyber school funding cuts

I am writing to urge you to reject the proposed 20% cut to cyber school funding in Michigan. Such a reduction would have devastating consequences for thousands of children like mine who depend on virtual education as their best path to academic success. Cyber schools are not a convenience for us; they are a necessity. Many students who attend cyber schools do so because traditional brick-and-mortar settings cannot meet their needs. This includes children with chronic illnesses, severe anxiety, bullying histories, disabilities, or unique learning profiles that require a flexible, individualized approach. For these students, the choice to learn virtually is not about avoiding in-person schooling — it is about accessing an environment where they can actually thrive. Reducing funding by 20% will limit the ability of cyber schools to provide quality instruction, robust student support services, and the technological infrastructure necessary for effective online learning. The result would be larger student-to-teacher ratios, fewer resources for special education and intervention, and less access to innovative learning tools — directly harming the very students who rely most on these programs. Choice and flexibility are foundational to a strong public education system. Cutting cyber school funding undermines this principle and sends a harmful message that students who cannot thrive in a traditional setting are less deserving of resources. Michigan’s cyber schools are public schools, serving public school students, with accountability and performance expectations just like their brick-and-mortar counterparts. Funding them at a drastically reduced rate is not only inequitable — it is discriminatory toward a subset of students based solely on the format in which they receive their education. I urge you to protect equitable funding for all public school students by opposing this cut. The future of thousands of Michigan children depends on it.