Year passes without ruling on Santorum charter-school case

[LynneSin]

http://www.timesleader.com/mld/timesleader/15015336.htm

Year passes without ruling on Santorum charter-school case
MARTHA RAFFAELE
Associated Press
HARRISBURG, Pa. - A dispute over whether a school district can recover tax money it paid for U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum's children to attend an Internet-based charter school remains unresolved a year after a hearing officer recommended that the state dismiss the case.

The Penn Hills school board in suburban Pittsburgh has sought a refund of tens of thousands of dollars in tuition from the Pennsylvania Cyber Charter School, which enrolled five of Santorum's six children even though the family lives primarily in Leesburg, Va.

Santorum, R-Pa., who also owns a smaller home in the Penn Hills school district, withdrew his children from the Midland-based cyberschool in November 2004, but it has become an issue in his re-election campaign against Democratic nominee Bob Casey.

State Education Secretary Gerald Zahorchak has not decided whether to accept the hearing officer's July 2005 recommendation to dismiss the school board's challenge, department spokesman Mike Storm said Tuesday. Storm would not say why Zahorchak has not reached a decision.