Section 160.410

Title XI EDUCATION AND LIBRARIES

Chapter 160

Effective - 28 Aug 2009, 6 histories, see footnote   (history) 

  160.410.  Admission, preferences for admission permitted, when — study of performance to be commissioned by department, costs, contents, results to be made public. — 1. A charter school shall enroll:

  (1) All pupils resident in the district in which it operates;

  (2) Nonresident pupils eligible to attend a district's school under an urban voluntary transfer program; and

  (3) In the case of a workplace charter school, any student eligible to attend under subdivision (1) or (2) of this subsection whose parent is employed in the business district, who submits a timely application, unless the number of applications exceeds the capacity of a program, class, grade level or building. The configuration of a business district shall be set forth in the charter and shall not be construed to create an undue advantage for a single employer or small number of employers.

  2. If capacity is insufficient to enroll all pupils who submit a timely application, the charter school shall have an admissions process that assures all applicants of an equal chance of gaining admission except that:

  (1) A charter school may establish a geographical area around the school whose residents will receive a preference for enrolling in the school, provided that such preferences do not result in the establishment of racially or socioeconomically isolated schools and provided such preferences conform to policies and guidelines established by the state board of education; and

  (2) A charter school may also give a preference for admission of children whose siblings attend the school or whose parents are employed at the school or in the case of a workplace charter school, a child whose parent is employed in the business district or at the business site of such school.

  3. A charter school shall not limit admission based on race, ethnicity, national origin, disability, gender, income level, proficiency in the English language or athletic ability, but may limit admission to pupils within a given age group or grade level.

  4. The department of elementary and secondary education shall commission a study of the performance of students at each charter school in comparison with an equivalent group of district students representing an equivalent demographic and geographic population and a study of the impact of charter schools upon the constituents they serve in the districts in which they are located, to be conducted by the joint committee on education. The charter school study shall include analysis of the administrative and instructional practices of each charter school and shall include findings on innovative programs that illustrate best practices and lend themselves to replication or incorporation in other schools. The joint committee on education shall coordinate with individuals representing charter public schools and the districts in which charter schools are located in conducting the study. The study of a charter school's student performance in relation to a comparable group shall be designed to provide information that would allow parents and educators to make valid comparisons of academic performance between the charter school's students and an equivalent group of district students representing an equivalent demographic and geographic population. The student performance assessment and comparison shall include, but may not be limited to:

  (1) Missouri assessment program test performance and aggregate growth over several years;

  (2) Student reenrollment rates;

  (3) Educator, parent, and student satisfaction data;

  (4) Graduation rates in secondary programs; and

  (5) Performance of students enrolled in the same public school for three or more consecutive years.  The impact study shall be undertaken every two years to determine the impact of charter schools on the constituents they serve in the districts where charter schools are operated.

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The impact study shall include, but is not limited to, determining if changes have been made in district policy or procedures attributable to the charter school and to perceived changes in attitudes and expectations on the part of district personnel, school board members, parents, students, the business community and other education stakeholders. The department of elementary and secondary education shall make the results of the studies public and shall deliver copies to the governing boards of the charter schools, the sponsors of the charter schools, the school board and superintendent of the districts in which the charter schools are operated.

  5. A charter school shall make available for public inspection, and provide upon request, to the parent, guardian, or other custodian of any school-age pupil resident in the district in which the school is located the following information:

  (1) The school's charter;

  (2) The school's most recent annual report card published according to section 160.522; and

  (3) The results of background checks on the charter school's board members.  

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The charter school may charge reasonable fees, not to exceed the rate specified in section 610.026 for furnishing copies of documents under this subsection.

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(L. 1998 S.B. 781 § 6, A.L. 2005 S.B. 287, A.L. 2009 S.B. 291)