Columbia Public Schools back in court for charter school fight

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

Columbia Public Schools will return to Cole County court on Monday as the months-long legal battle over charter schools in Boone County continues.

CPS filed the suit in December after the charter school, Frontier, announced a plan to establish a charter school in the county. The application was later approved by the state's Board of Education in April.

CPS argues that Frontier had not taken proper steps in its application, like receiving public input from the community. It also argues that the state law that allows the charter school specifically targets Boone County.

SB 727 states that charter schools can be operated in counties "between 150,000 and 200,000 inhabitants." While the bill does not call out Boone County by name, census data shows that Boone County is the only county in the state that falls between these guidelines.

According to court documents, CPS is requesting that the judge declare that the approval of Frontier's application was unconstitutional and reject it.

The state filed a motion for partial judgment in May. It argues the judge should rule in favor of the state, stating CPS doesn't have any valid points to overturn the charter school law. The state also claims the Missouri State Board of Education is protected by sovereign immunity.

The hearing begins at 11 a.m. in the Cole County Courthouse.

This is an ongoing story.