Virtual Schools Are Spending Millions of Taxpayer Dollars On Advertising
Published on August 7, 2013.
K12, and other virtual school operators, are spending public funds on advertising, like in this online K12 ad.
By Ashley Lopez
Florida Center for Investigative Reporting
Florida Center for Investigative Reporting
A new report from USA Today found that virtual school operators are dealing with low enrollment numbers by spending public funds on advertising.
While public schools will layoff staff when they see low enrollment, these online schools will spend millions of dollars on advertising towards young people.
According to USA Today‘s research, “10 of the largest for-profit [virtual school] operators have spent an estimated $94.4 million on ads since 2007.”
K12 Inc., an embattled for-profit operator of online schools and is the biggest virtual school chain in the country, “has spent about $21.5 million in just the first eight months of 2012,” USA Today reports.
According to USA Today:
The analysis is based on ad buys and rates compiled by Kantar Media, a New York-based provider of “media and marketing intelligence,” but the figures are only estimates. In an interview, K12 spokesman Jeff Kwitowski wouldn’t say whether the estimates are accurate or provide actual K12 figures. But he said the company’s agreements with local school