Columbia Public Schools sues state over charter school application

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Columbia Public Schools filed a lawsuit Monday that claims the establishment of charter schools in Boone County is unconstitutional, with district leaders talking to reporters about the issue in a news conference afterward.

The lawsuit names the state attorney general and the Missouri State Board of Education.

It focuses on one of two groups that want to create a Boone County charter school -- Frontier. The Columbia Board of Education has written to the state board opposing Frontier, Columbia board member Suzette Waters said.

"These actions are protecting constitutional principles, ensuring that public education decisions in the county are made by people who are accountable to the voters and the families that live here," CPS Board President John Lyman said.

CPS argues that the state's Republican-led legislature purposely targeted Boone County for the expansion of charter schools through Senate Bill 727, which was signed by Gov. Mike Parson in May 2024.

While SB 727 does not call out Boone County by name, a rule in it mentions that charter schools may be operated only in counties "between 150,000 and 200,000 inhabitants."

According to census data, Boone County is the only county in the state that matches this description.

According to court documents, CPS adds that demographers expect Boone County will exceed 200,000 residents in five years, exceeding the rule.

"The pretextual population bracket lacks elasticity and cannot operate as a general law over time. The application of the classification to population trends throughout the state demonstrates that the population bracket included in the Boone County Provision was crafted to reach Boone County and Boone County alone. That is a violation of the Missouri Constitution," according to court documents.

Sponsored by Saint Louis University, Frontier's school would serve pre-K through fifth-grade students. Frontier Schools already operates a 1,595-student school in Kansas City and aims to expand educational choices for families in Boone County. The group's application was approved by the Missouri Charter Public School Commission in November.

"We respect the legal process and will continue to follow all applicable state laws and guidance from the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education as our application proceeds," Frontier said in a statement. "We believe families in Columbia deserve access to additional high-quality, tuition-free public school options."

Job Point, another organization, has also expressed intentions to open a charter school in Boone County. Job Point's proposed school would focus on vocational skills for high school students through its established YouthBuild program.

The Missouri Charter Public School Commission unanimously approved Job Point's letter of intent on Oct. 9, inviting the group to apply to establish the charter school, which aims to open for the 2027 school year.

Frontier has an application in for its school, while Job Point does not, Waters said.

She said Frontier plans to open a selective school, even though charter schools are supposed to be open to all.

Waters also said the charter school took no local public input and did not plan to have offices in Boone County, adding that charter schools do not participate in screening students for learning disbilities through Missouri's MAP-A test.

"Frontier plans to open a selective school funded by your tax dollars for children whose parents are currently paying private school tuition," Waters said.

CPS leaders said the Columbia Board of Education unanimously approved of the lawsuit.

"We are confident that the points of our litigation are solid and that we have good standing," Waters said.

The charter school commission sponsors 21 charter schools in the state, primarily in the Kansas City and St. Louis areas. YouthBuild has also partnered with charter schools in other states, including California, where it operates 18 school sites.

DESE declined to comment. ABC 17 News also reached out to the Attorney General's Office and SLU but did not hear back.