HCS HB 2230 -- CHARTER SCHOOLS

SPONSOR:  Hoskins, 80 (Stream)

COMMITTEE ACTION:  Voted "do pass" by the Special Committee on
Urban Issues by a vote of 7 to 0.

This substitute allows the school district in which a failed
charter school is located to contract with the governing board of
the charter school for the continuing operation of the charter
school as a local district school, allows the charter school
teachers to continue to be employees of the governing board of
the former charter school and requires them to hold the proper
certification, and deletes duplicate provisions in Section
160.420, RSMo, which are in Section 160.415.

Any proposed or existing high-risk or alternative charter school
may use alternative arrangements for satisfying graduation
requirements, such as credit for off-campus instruction, embedded
credit, work experience through a school-arranged internship, and
independent study.  When the State Board of Education approves
the school's charter, the alternative arrangements become
effective.  In order for students to obtain credit, the school's
arrangements must be studied by the Department of Elementary and
Secondary Education after three years of operation to assess
student performance, graduation rates, educational outcomes, and
entry into the workforce or higher education.

If a charter school's mission includes dropout prevention or
recovery, it may enroll a nonresident student who is considered
high risk or a dropout who resides in a residential care
facility, transitional living group home, or an independent
living program and whose last school of enrollment is in the
district where the charter school is established.  These schools
must give preference to resident students over nonresident pupils
if enrollment capacity is limited.  It may give preference to
high-risk students and dropouts in regard to other admission
policies.

FISCAL NOTE:  No impact on state funds in FY 2011, FY 2012, and
FY 2013.

PROPONENTS:  Supporters say that the bill establishes a mechanism
for the City of St. Louis to set up a charter school that would
be known as Shear Water.  This charter school will be different
than the existing two charter schools because it will focus on
job training.  This type of charter school is needed because it
will help prevent students from dropping out of school.  The cost
to start up a charter school is far less than the cost of
incarcerating students.  This charter school model works for this
target population.

Testifying for the bill were Representatives Stream, Nasheed, and
McNary.

OPPONENTS:  Those who oppose the bill say that St. Louis City
already has two alternative schools for dropouts that have
effective programs and the capacity to expand.  Facility and
teachers are already available to provide instruction to these
students.

Testifying against the bill were AFT Missouri; and Missouri
AFL-CIO.

OTHERS:  Others testifying on the bill say the St. Louis City
school board is opposed to the concept of charter schools because
they are held to a different educational standard; however, the
board remains neutral on the bill.

Testifying on the bill was St. Louis Public Schools.

Missouri House of Representatives
95th General Assembly, 2nd Regular Session
Last Updated September 14, 2010 at 3:13 pm