SB 1078 – Current law provides that charter schools may only be operated in the Kansas City and St. Louis City school districts. This act allows charter schools to be operated in any district that is not a K-8 district, has an enrollment of at least two thousand students, and has been provisionally accredited for any period of three consecutive years since July 1, 1999. A community college whose service area includes any portion of a school district in which a charter school may be operated may sponsor a charter school. In addition, any private or public four-year college or university with an approved teacher preparation program with its primary campus located in Missouri may sponsor a charter school. This act removes a provision preventing the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education from withholding 1.5% of certain state and local funding when the sponsor is a school district or the state board of education. Charter school sponsors may spend up to 10% of their sponsorship funding for undesignated costs but must designate the remaining funds for sponsorship activities or for direct investment in the sponsored schools. This act removes the condition that charter schools become local educational agencies for the sole purpose of seeking direct access to federal grants when a sponsor and governing board enter into a written agreement reflecting the charter school's decision to become a local educational agency. This act requires charter schools whose mission includes student drop-out prevention or recovery to enroll nonresident pupils from the same or an adjacent county who submit a timely application. Preference will be given to resident pupils over non-resident pupils if there is insufficient capacity. This act contains provisions similar to SB 1027 (2008).
MICHAEL RUFF