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LAW |
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Year Passed |
1998; last amended in 2008.
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Rank |
10th strongest of the nation's 40 charter laws. |
|
Grade |
B |
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GENERAL DATA |
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• Regional limitations limit charters to metropolitan school districts with a population greater than 350,000 (Kansas City and St. Louis)
• Authorizing permitted among range of colleges and universities
• Charter schools may be their own LEA, ensuring more equitable funding |
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MULTIPLE AUTHORIZERS - YES (2) |
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Approval |
School boards in Kansas City or St. Louis, a community college, or a four-year public or private college or university located in Missouri with an approved teacher education program that meets regional or national standards of accreditation. |
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Appeal |
Yes. Applications denied may be submitted to the State Board of Education, which has specific guidelines that limit the scope of appeals they will consider. The state board's rejection is subject to judicial review. If the state board approves the application, it will serve as the school's sponsor. |
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NUMBER OF SCHOOLS ALLOWED |
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Cap |
No cap (Limited to Kansas City and St. Louis) |
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OPERATIONAL AUTONOMY |
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State |
Limited. Waiver from some state rules and regulations. Virtual schools are not allowed. Management contracts with ESPs are not restricted. |
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Local |
Limited in cases where schools are not LEAs. |
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Teacher Freedom |
Yes. Teachers may choose to remain covered by district collective bargaining agreement, or may work independently. Employees of the charter school must participate in the retirement system of the school district in which the charter school is located. |
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EQUITY |
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Student Funding |
• LEA charter schools receive all funding streams and categories.
• Funds are now nearly comparable to conventional public schools.
• Funds pass through the state for LEAs and through district for others.
• Average per pupil revenue - $9,560
"A charter school that has declared itself as a local educational agency shall receive from the department of elementary and secondary education an annual amount equal to the product of the charter school's weighted average daily attendance and the state adequacy target, multiplied by the dollar value modifier for the district, plus local tax revenues per weighted average daily attendance from the incidental and teachers funds in excess of the performance levy as defined in section 163.011, RSMo, plus all other state aid attributable to such pupils. If a charter school declares itself as a local education agency, the department of elementary and secondary education shall, upon notice of the declaration, reduce the payment made to the school district by the amount specified in this subsection and pay directly to the charter school the annual amount reduced from the school district's payment." [§ 160.415.4 R.S.Mo.] |
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Facilities Funding |
None |
