PA Cyber adds Philadelphia commencement site

PHILADELPHIA, Sept. 23, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Growth in the size of its graduating classes has prompted the Pennsylvania Cyber Charter School to add a third site for statewide commencement exercises.

A commencement ceremony for the Class of 2014 is planned for 2 p.m. Saturday, June 14, 2014, in Verizon Hall at Philadelphia's Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, announced CEO Dr. Michael J. Conti.

PA Cyber has retained the two commencement venues from previous years for 2014: Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Hall in Pittsburgh, and The Forum at the State Capitol Complex in Harrisburg.

Ceremonies are set for 11 a.m. Saturday, June 7, in Pittsburgh and 2 p.m. Saturday, June 21, in Harrisburg.

"We have simply outgrown the facilities in Pittsburgh and Harrisburg," said Dr. Conti. "Having Verizon Hall for graduation will be a convenience for our Philadelphia area families, and relieves seating pressures especially on The Forum in Harrisburg, which is a wonderful facility for this purpose but seats only 1,700."

Growth in graduation numbers and participation caused school officials in recent years to limit how many seat tickets each family was allowed to request. PA Cyber had more than 1,500 graduates in each of the past two years, according to Dr. Conti.

 "The addition of a third graduation site is in response to requests from our families to allow more of their members to share in this important moment in their children's lives," said Dr. Conti.

The first statewide K-12 online public school in Pennsylvania, PA Cyber graduated 16 seniors in its first graduating class in 2001. PA Cyber is Pennsylvania's largest and most successful cyber charter school, with a statewide enrollment of more than 11,000 in grades K-12.

Contact Jill Valentine, 724.624.0473

SOURCE PA Cyber Charter School