In its first year of operation, leaders of the Pennsylvania LEARNERS Online Regional Cyber Charter School learned two key lessons: students need the school to be open year round, and operating a cyber school cost more money than they expected.

The charter school board yesterday approved hiring seven teachers for a 220-day year, which would increase their work year by 30 days and allow flexibility in their vacation schedules so students can be served throughout the year.

The school, known as PALO, was started a year ago through the Allegheny Intermediate Unit with 10 founding school districts. When its school year closed at the end of June, it listed 351 active students in kindergarten through 12th grade.

Cyber schools offer instruction to students by computer, usually in the students' homes.

Some students needed to continue their coursework in the summer, so four of PALO's teachers from the first year were hired part time to help those students and to work on curriculum.

By next summer, the year-round approach will be built into the program. Some students may choose to complete their work during a traditional school year, but others may want more time or flexibility or a chance to accelerate.

While the amount of time in traditional schools is fixed, Paula Calabrese, PALO board chair and intermediate unit assistant executive director, said different students need different amounts of time to be successful.

"We want to have time as the variable and learning as the constant," she said.

The school also plans to offer summer courses for a fee for students who don't attend PALO and want to do summer makeup work.

When the school was formed, school districts were reeling from unexpected bills from cyber charter schools throughout the state. Under state law, school districts must pay a set fee for each resident student who attends a charter school. Students do not pay tuition.

One of the goals of PALO was to save school districts money, but the treasurer's report showed a deficit of $431,471 at the end of June, which is about 20 percent of the $2.1 million it spent. The deficit, which will be picked up by the Allegheny Intermediate Unit, is expected to drop to about $330,000 once additional school district fees are received.

Part of the problem is start-up costs, including the purchase of computers for students to use at home and software. Donna Durno, intermediate unit executive director, said she was surprised at how expensive it is to buy high-quality curriculum for a cyber school.

During its first year, the school also has faced staffing changes. Its principal, Paul Kasunich, has returned to teaching in Shaler. Nancy Williamson, coordinator of student services, has been serving as acting principal.

Teachers are required to have Internet service at home, but the board decided that teachers should continue to pay for that themselves.

The board authorized paying teachers for up to $50 a month for phone bills, a ceiling that will cut PALO's phone expenses. PALO teachers last year ran up large cell phone bills talking with parents.

The board capped enrollment at 350 for the coming year. So far, it has 186 active students listed for fall, and another 140 whose applications need to be processed.