COLUMBIA — Columbia Public Schools announced Monday it is suing the state of Missouri over the expansion of charter schools into Boone County. The lawsuit also names Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway and the Missouri State Board of Education.
The school district claims the law allowing charters to expand into Boone County is unconstitutional because it targets a single county, according to court documents obtained by KOMU 8 News.
In a letter to the Missouri State Board of Education, Columbia Public Schools said the law allowing charter schools to expand into Boone County was passed "without local notice and without local voice."
Former Gov. Mike Parson signed the bill, Senate Bill 727, into law in May 2024. Every public school board in Boone County opposed the bill.
Charter schools are privately run schools paid for through public funds. This means the money going to them would take away money from Columbia Public Schools.
The school district said the diversion of funding to a duplicate school system will disrupt what the district calls the "CPS Experience."
The new lawsuit is in direct respond to Kansas City-based Frontier Schools application to open a charter school in Boone County, which is being sponsored by Saint Louis University. It's currently looking to open a pre-K through fifth grade campus in Columbia, according to previous KOMU 8 reporting.
Frontier's application is currently awaiting approval from the State Board of Education. Columbia-based organization Job Point also submitted a letter of intent to open a charter school in 2027–28, but has not yet submitted an application.
According to the lawsuit, which was filed Monday in Cole County, the district is asking the state to:
- Declare the law allowing charter schools in Boone County unconstitutional
- Declare Frontier Schools' application to open a charter school in Boone County and Saint Louis University's sponsorship of the application unlawful
- Keep the State Board of Education from approving Frontier Schools' charter school application
The Columbia School Board said in a news release that in just the first year of operation, Frontier Schools would take $4 million in tax dollars from CPS if its charter school is approved.
During Monday's news conference, CPS Board Member and former Board President Suzette Waters said the School Board unanimously voted to file the lawsuit during a closed session on Dec. 8.
