HCS/HB 634 - This act allows charter schools to be operated in any school district in which at least one school building has received a score of 60% or less on its annual performance report (APR) for two of the three most recent annual APRs available as of the date in which the charter school applies to open such school in the school district. When a charter school is allowed to operate under such provision, the person, group, or organization seeking to establish the charter school must submit the proposed charter to the local school board before the charter school submits its proposed charter to any other sponsor. This act gives the local school board 60 days to consider the proposed charter and accept or decline the sponsorship. If the local school board declines to sponsor the charter school or does not respond within the specified time, any other authorized sponsor may enter into a sponsorship agreement. Charter schools must give enrollment preference to resident students that reside in the attendance area of the school building with an APR of 60% or less. Charter schools may enroll nonresident students so long as it does not displace a resident student. Each school district that has one or more of its resident students attending such a charter school as nonresident students shall pay to the charter school, for each student, 90% of its average per-student expenditure. This act also allows charter schools to be operated in any school district not served by a high-quality career technical center, as defined in the act, sponsored only by the local school board, for the purpose of establishing a career and technical center whose mission will focus on helping students earn career and technical education certificates in addition to their high school graduation diplomas. Such charter schools may enroll nonresident students who are residents of a district that is located in the same county in which such charter school is located, in whole or in part, in a county adjacent to the county in which such charter school is located.
Charter schools may renew for a five-year term unless the charter school's APR score, other than a charter school in which 50% or more of the school's students were previously considered dropouts, is below the average of the APR scores of all non-selective grade-level-equivalent school buildings in the school district in which the charter school is located for two of the three consecutive years immediately before a decision whether to renew is made. In that case such renewal will be for three years. If the charter school's APR continues to be lower for another two out of three years, the charter school term will not be renewed. Such renewal application will include a financial audit performed by the State Auditor, with costs paid for by the charter school.
This act also requires all members of any governing board of any charter school to be resident taxpayers, except that, any member serving a term as of August 28, 2017, may serve the remainder of his or her term even if such member is not a resident taxpayer of the state of Missouri. This act also requires charter schools to meet all state and federal requirements and the same academic performance standards required of seven-director school districts.
This act shall become effective on July 1 following the school year in which the foundation formula is fully funded.
JAMIE ANDREWS