- Introduced -

SB 729 - This act makes many revisions to laws regarding charter schools and public school teachers.

RETIRED TEACHERS - Kansas City Missouri School District may employ retired teachers to teach up to two years and still receive retirement stipends. This option is currently available only for St. Louis Public Schools (St. Louis City).

LOCATION OF CHARTER SCHOOLS - The act provides that charter schools may be operated in the territory of the currently authorized districts, even if those school districts no longer exist or no longer include that territory. The act clarifies that charter schools may be sponsored by a public 4-year college or university in a county containing an eligible school district, even if the college or university is not in the school district.

The State Board of Education shall make a decision on appeals of denied charters within 60 days.

CONVERSION TO CHARTER SCHOOLS - Allows up to 20% of buildings used the previous year for public school instruction to be converted to charter schools each year. The current law allows a total of 5% of a district's instructional buildings to be converted to charter schools.

AFFILIATION OF CHARTER SCHOOLS - Charter schools may be affiliated with a higher education institution. Affiliation is defined to include oversight, teacher training and staff development, curriculum and assessment development, and providing classroom experiences for students at the institution and may include use of facilities of the institution.

Grant funding for affiliated institutions shall be administered by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education and funded from higher education appropriation increases. The grants shall be funded annually at an amount equal to 1% of the amount of operating revenues provided to charter schools the previous year, but no less than $100,000 and no greater than $500,000. Any affiliated institution may apply and must demonstrate that affiliation status is achieved. Grants shall be based on the number of schools affiliated with, enrollment and degree of achievement of affiliation status. Unused grant funds shall revert to General Revenue.

CHARTER SCHOOL BOARDS - Sponsors must perform criminal background checks on the members of the Board of Directors of any nonprofit corporation applying to establish a charter school, prior to granting or renewing a charter. No member of a charter school board may be employed by the charter school.

The Department shall make available training for charter school board members, but such training is not required.

ACCOUNTABILITY - Charter schools are required to publish financial reports and audits. Charter schools are required to employ the Missouri Assessment Program (MAP) tests. The charter school sponsor may require a charter school placed on probation to include, in its remedial plan, a change in methodology or leadership, or both.

CHARTER SCHOOL EMPLOYEES - The act provides that a charter school employee may remain employed by the school district upon providing notice by July 1. Personnel employed by charter schools may, at the employee's option, participate in the retirement system of the school district in which the charter school is located.

LAWSUITS RE CHARTER SCHOOLS - No school district or other entity may use any state funds to challenge the constitutionality of the Missouri charter school laws.

OTTO FAJEN