Pennsylvania

The public water utility serving Middlesex Township said Thursday night it has the headroom to serve a major data center, which checks a significant box for the proposal’s developers.

The editorial board of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette argues for Pennsylvania joining at least 27 other states in restricting student use of cellphones during the school day, given the effects of such policies elsewhere.

At its annual conference, the National Association of State Chief Information Officers recognized Ohio’s Holly Drake for her cybersecurity leadership, while also doling out other tech awards.

By 2015, for-profit management companies ran a large share of the cyber schools across the U.S., but for Commonwealth Charter Academy, separating from them brought in more money, independence and control over curricula.

Even after the initial pandemic-era rush to cyber charter schools subsided, Commonwealth Charter Academy has continued to grow because many parents are dissatisfied with their local public schools.

The Pennsylvania Office of Administration’s Language Access Management Program is working to ensure government services are accessible to all residents, regardless of the language they speak.

Pennsylvania only renews charters of cyber schools that agree to enrollment caps, but those schools can continue to operate without a charter. Some cyber leaders say this approach gives those schools more freedom to grow.

Work for America and its Civic Match job platform near the one-year mark with 11,000 job seekers and partnerships across states and cities.

Across the country, 35 states have laws or rules limiting cellphones and other electronic devices in school, including 18 states and the District of Columbia where phones aren’t allowed during school.

At a time when lots of Pennsylvania communities are writing data center regulations into their zoning ordinances, one Cumberland County township just pressed pause.

State Rep. Nikki Rivera has introduced legislation to ensure charter school students are taught by certified teachers, citing the risks of fully AI-driven instruction. It highlights the ongoing conversation around AI in instruction.

The state Office of Attorney General confirmed a cyber attack that encrypted files in an attempt to seek a ransom was behind website, email and phone outages last month. The office has not paid, it said.

A handful of Pennsylvania universities were among the inaugural members of the Google AI for Education Accelerator, which provides students, faculty and staff with free access to AI training.

A study by the Penn Environment Research and Policy Center found that solar panels at the state’s schools could produce enough electricity to power 187,000 homes each year.

Individuals are receiving an increased number of these types of scam messages and phone calls, officials say, with scammers using fake browser pop-ups or unsolicited phone calls to trick victims.

The state attorney general’s office confirmed a “cyber incident” in August that has left some staff and prosecutors unable to access archived emails, files and internal systems. Some civil cases have also been postponed.

Cyber charter schools in Pennsylvania spend more money educating students than traditional schools — after removing the costs of maintaining buildings and transporting students.

The state has been fast-tracking the permitting process at the governor’s direction, following an executive order. Now, officials are leveraging these improvements to invite business growth.