NORMANDY, Mo. (AP) - St. Louis County’s first charter school is expected to open next fall after reluctant approval from Missouri education leaders.
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that the Leadership School in Normandy will be Missouri’s first charter school outside of St. Louis or Kansas City. The school is expected to open with 12 students in kindergarten through second grade and eventually grow to 450 students through eighth grade.
The Missouri school board voted on the charter school’s application at a special meeting Thursday. Members expressed frustration with their lack of power to deny the school as long as it meets state requirements.
Board members said they were troubled by opposition from the Normandy community, including elected officials who have said the charter school amounts to an experiment on children.
Normandy schools have not been fully accredited for a decade, and test scores rank lowest in the state, with 15% of students proficient in English and 7% proficient in math in 2019. The school’s executive director, Kimberly Townsend, said families deserve a choice in public schools.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.