As promised, HB 473 was filed by State Representative Tishaura Jones to expand charter public schools statewide and increase accountability on schools and sponsors.  The legislation also creates a state authorizing board, the Missouri Charter Public School Commission, and expands entities that can sponsor charter schools to include non profits, the Mayor of St. Louis and any private university with its primary campus in Missouri.

Currently, charter schools are only allowed to operate in, and accept students from, the St. Louis and Kansas City public school districts.  Sponsorship is also limited to public, four- year universities and private universities in St. Louis.  These nationally one- of- a- kind geographic limitations have caused many of the high performing national charter school programs to pass by Missouri when seeking to expand and help more children find quality education options.

The legislation also increases accountability by allowing the Missouri State Board of Education to close a charter if it fails to meet academic or financial stability benchmarks.  The legislation sets requirements of sponsors to develop policies and procedures for reviewing charter school proposals, granting of a charter and ongoing oversight of the school.  New language is introduced in the bill that requires sponsors to have a plan in place at the start of the charter in case the school were to be closed, and plans to inform parents of their options in the event that closure occurs.

CECM is in support of the initial concepts of this bill and looks forward to working with Representative Jones, and other allies, on passage of this legislation.

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