charter schools

Current and former employees of the Kansas City charter school said they’re frustrated with the level of response from the board after they raised serious concerns about leadership instability, high staff turnover, potential financial mismanagement and student safety.

KIPP Kansas City employees say staff turnover and leadership changes have contributed to issues such as incorrect pay, shrinking enrollment and disrupted education.

About 60% of the teachers, principals, aides and other staff at KIPP Kansas City have left in the last year, describing a chaotic environment with frequent mishaps. Leaders say they're trying to reimagine the charter and not everyone is on board with the changes.

The charter school would target older students struggling in a traditional school setting and help them get their high school equivalency and vocational training.

One ballot campaign hopes to amend the Missouri constitution to declare education a “fundamental right.” The other would prohibit most public funding of nonpublic schools, including charters. Both accuse the state's top election official, Denny Hoskins, of trying to mislead voters.

Voters overwhelmingly approved the measure that will provide nine charter schools and traditional Kansas City Public Schools campuses with nearly $500 million to address longstanding maintenance needs and improve learning environments.

Kansas City Public Schools will ask voters on April 8 to approve $474 million in higher property taxes to help the district update classrooms, build new schools and address long-standing maintenance needs. In order to pass the bond measure, the district will have to convince 57% of voters to sign off.

Kansas City is asking voters to buy into its public school system for the first time in nearly 60 years. Even after Kansas City Public Schools regained accreditation and turned the tide of student performance, crumbling buildings offer a persistent reminder of the city's disinvestment. It's a relationship strained by decades of racism, a history-making desegregation case and plenty of internal turmoil.

The bond plan calls for building new elementary schools, major renovations and reopening Southwest High School as a middle school. Kansas City voters have not passed a bond for KCPS since the 1960s, and the district has been left with more than $600 million worth of repair needs.

The Missouri Charter Public School Commission voted not to renew Genesis School's charter for another five years. The charter school has long served students in Kansas City who struggle academically.

Dean Johnson, who also co-founded Crossroad Charter Schools in Kansas City, said that Quality Schools Coalition was forced to shutter after four years when a top donor declined to renew their funding.

Bills largely split by partisan divides seek to expand or modify charter school operation in Missouri