• OFFICE OF CHARTER SPONSORSHIP: SAINT LOUIS PUBLIC SCHOOLS

    1. CURRENT SPONSORSHIP RESPONSIBILITIES

    Saint Louis Public Schools currently serves as the sponsor for Confluence Academies.

    ANNUAL SPONSORSHIP REPORT FOR CONFLUENCE ACADEMIES: SY 2023-2024

    ANNUAL SPONSORSHIP REPORT FOR CONFLUENCE ACADEMIES: SY 2024-2025

    SLPS CHARTER SPONSORSHIP MANUAL (UPDATED 2023)

    2. CHARTER APPLICATIONS TO SPONSORS OTHER THAN SAINT LOUIS PUBLIC SCHOOLS

    All applicants for new charter schools within the City of Saint Louis who are applying to sponsors other than Saint Louis Public Schools (SLPS) are required to submit a copy of the application to the school board of the City of Saint Louis and to the state board of education within five business days of the date the application is filed with the proposed sponsor. The school board may file objections with the proposed sponsor, and, if a charter is granted, the school board may file objections with the state board of education. (§160.405 RSMo)

    Copies of all applications should be submitted to charterapplications@slps.org

    3. CHARTER APPLICATIONS AND RENEWALS: SAINT LOUIS PUBLIC SCHOOLS

    2A. Initial Application Process and Procedures

    All parties interested in applying for Charter Sponsorship with Saint Louis Public Schools (SLPS) should submit a Detailed Proposal to charterapplications@slps.org

    SLPS Office of Charter Partnerships will provide feedback to the proposed applicant after submission. SLPS will have increased scrutiny for charter school proposals with similar missions and locations of charter schools SLPS already sponsors or schools that already exist in the Saint Louis public education system. SLPS will maintain a thorough charter application process as outlined in section 160.400.11(2), RSMo.

    SLPS maintains a two-part evaluation process for all potential partnerships. Part 1 is a review of Detailed Proposal(s), completed by the Office of Charter Partnerships, which concludes with a recommendation to advance, not advance, or advance with reservations to Part 2. Part 2 is an opportunity for the Board of Education of the City of Saint Louis to determine the applicant’s fit with the overall education strategy of the Board of Education, which concludes with a potential final approval for sponsorship.

    The steps of the application process for all potential school partnerships with SLPS is as follows:

    SLPS External Partner Evaluation Process:

    PART 1: Detailed Proposal

    1. Detailed Proposal

    2. Review and Request for Additional Documentation

    3. Data Review

    4. Interview(s)- Clarifying Information

    5. Recommendation to Advance or Not Advance to Part 2 

    PART 2: Board Review and Alignment Determination

    6. Capacity Interviews- Board and Leadership

    7. Alignment and Enrollment Analyses

    8. Final Recommendation for Approval

    9. Superintendent Approval

    10. Board Approval

    11. DESE Submission and Approval

     

    Part 1: Detailed Proposal

    The applicant for the proposed charter school shall provide the SLPS Office of Charter Partnerships with a Detailed Proposal, to include the following:

    §  Mission and vision,

    §  Educational need and contribution to the overall educational community,

    §  Internal Governance structure and operations (organizational chart),

    §  Governance Relationship to SLPS,

    §  Educational program,

    §  School size and grade levels, student recruitment area, including any plans for sequential enrollment,

    §  Proposed location and facilities,

    §  Plan for parental and community involvement,

    §  Financial plan (including all relevant debt),

    §  Anticipated year of opening and full enrollment,

    §  Current and historical performance data (when relevant),

    §  Describe the uniqueness of the school and how it differs from existing schools in the system,

    §  Founding team members and their resumes,

    §  Description of the capacity to open and operate the school, and

    §  Contribution to the overall educational community.

    The Office of Charter Partnerships will review the application and provide a request for additional documentation, as needed. After a thorough analysis, the Office of Charter Partnerships will invite the applicant for an interview with the SLPS Charter Sponsor Advisory Committee to clarify any missing information. The Committee is comprised of internal individuals with experience in public education, board governance, accounting and finance, data management, marketing, and charter school operations.

    Rating and Recommendation to Advance or Not Advance to Part 2

    Subsequently, the Office of Charter Partnerships will make a recommendation for the application to advance, to not advance, or to advance with reservations to Part 2 using the information gathered in Part 1. To better ensure any school that SLPS chooses to sponsor contributes positively to district goals, SLPS rates interested schools/ operators across six measures derived from the Missouri School Improvement Program and from authorization best practices, to assess past performance and to predict future success.\

    1. Academics
    2. Attendance
    3. Graduation Rate (when applicable)
    4. Finance
    5. Governance/ Leadership
    6. Special Considerations

    For each measure, the school/operator will earn a score of Advance, Advance with Reservations, or Do Not Advance.  In order to advance overall, the school must score an overall designation of Advance with Reservations or higher.

    Category 1: Academics

    To Advance without Reservations: MPI 300, APR 70%

    To Advance with Reservations: Does not meet targets above, but is in the top quartile of comparable schools in SLPS.

    To Not Advance: Does not meet targets above.

     

    Category 2: Attendance

    To Advance without Reservations: 80% of students above 90% attendance

    To Advance with Reservations: Does not meet target above, but is in the top quartile of comparable schools in SLPS.

    To Not Advance: Does not meet targets above.

     

    Category 3: Graduation Rate (when applicable)

    To Advance without Reservations: Graduation Rate (4, 5, 6, or 7 year rate) of 92.0% or higher.

    To Advance with Reservations: Graduation Rate (4, 5, 6, or 7) of 82.0%-91.9%, or 22.5 Graduation Progress Points.

    To Not Advance: Does not meet targets above.

     

    Category 4: Finance

    To Advance without Reservations: 3% Surplus, Clean Financial Audit, No Significant Debt.

    To Advance with Reservations: Might meet financial targets above, more information necessary.

    To Not Advance: Does not meet targets above.

     

    Category 5: Governance/ Leadership

    To Advance without Reservations: Positive recommendation from current sponsor, strong board oversight/support, experienced leadership with strong past results.

    To Advance with Reservations: Neutral recommendation from current sponsor OR negative recommendation with valid response from school, minor concerns regarding board oversight/support, minor concerns regarding leadership experience and leadership’s past results.

    To Not Advance: Negative recommendation without valid response, weak board oversight, significant concerns regarding leadership experience and leadership’s past results.

     

    Category 6: Special Considerations

    To Advance without Reservations: School model would serve an underserved population or otherwise contribute uniquely to the SLPS system of schools.

    To Advance with Reservations: Mixed data on whether the school model would contribute uniquely to SLPS system.

    To Not Advance: No unique contribution to the SLPS system of schools based on model or population served.

    Part 2: Board Review and Alignment Determination

    Upon a recommendation from the Office of Charter Partnerships to advance or advance with reservations, representatives from the Board of Education of the City of Saint Louis will meet with representatives from the Board of the applicant to complete a Leadership and Capacity Interview. SLPS will also complete Alignment and Enrollment Analyses. Final approval is determined through a vote by the Board of Education of the City of Saint Louis.

    Other Application Considerations

    a) Nonprofit Status

    The charter school applicant must start the process to establish a nonprofit corporation pursuant to Chapter 355, RSMo. and have nonprofit status prior to the application approval.

    b) Third Party Education Service Providers

    A charter school that contracts with third party providers of educational design and/or management must include additional provisions and structures within its application that verify rigorous, independent contract oversight by its governing board and the school’s financial independence from the external provider. This includes the following:

    §  Its governing board is independent from the third-party provider’s management and/or governing board.

    §  The school’s finances are separate from the provider’s finances.

    §  The school’s financial operations and decision-making are independent of the provider’s operations and governance.

    Application Timeline

    The SLPS application review process may take up to 90 days to review applications and determine if it will sponsor the proposed school. Missouri Statutes require charters be granted by the State Board of Education by January 31 in order to open school the following school year. 160.405.2(1) RSMo. In order to meet this deadline, applications must be received by SLPS by July 1 of the year prior to the school’s opening date. For approval prior to the date required by statute, refer to the table below.

    Date application must

    be received by SLPS

    Date application must be approved by SLPS

    Date application must be received by DESE

    State Board of Education votes on application

    February (year prior to school’s opening date)

    April (year prior to school’s opening date)

    June (year prior to school’s opening date)

    August (year prior to school’s opening date)

    March (year prior to school’s opening date)

    June (year prior to school’s opening date)

    July (year prior to school’s opening date)

    September (year prior to school’s opening date)

     

    March (year prior to school’s opening date)

    June (year prior to school’s opening date)

    August (year prior to school’s opening date)

    October (year prior to school’s opening date)

    May (year prior to school’s opening date)

    August (year prior to school’s opening date)

    October (year prior to school’s opening date)

    December (year prior to school’s opening date)

    July (year prior to school’s opening date)

    October (year prior to school’s opening date)

    November (year prior to school’s opening date)

    January (year of school’s opening date)

     

    2B. Renewal Application Process and Procedures

    If SLPS supports renewal, the school will complete a renewal application for submission to the Missouri State Board of Education through the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. The renewal application process is more streamlined than the one for new charter school applications. In brief, here are the three steps in the renewal process:

    Step 1: Application Submission

    Step 2: Contract Renewal

    Step 3: DESE Submission and State Board Approval 

    STEP 1: Application Submission by November 1

    Application Template

    Currently, the SLPS Office of Charter Partnerships recommends that our charter schools use DESE’s renewal application template. By statute, schools that evidence strong student academic performance as measured by state assessments over the previous four years may complete an expedited application. They may also qualify for a renewal term of up to ten years.

    Required elements

    The SLPS Office of Charter Partnerships requires all applicants to present the following elements in their renewal application:

    §  A clear and compelling mission and vision

    §  A quality educational program backed up with a Performance Contract

    §  A sound business plan and projected budget for the next five years

    §  Strong evidence that effective governance and management structures and systems will continue to be in place

    §  Plans for the school’s growth and development over the five-year length of the renewal charter

    §  Clear evidence of the applicant’s capacity to execute its plans successfully

    §  Assurance that the school understands the procedures for closure and distribution of assets.

    §  If the school has not averaged over 70% APR during its current contract term, provide a rationale for renewal

    §  Appendices that include

    • Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws
    • Five-Year Budget and year-one cash flow analysis with budget assumptions noted
    • Prospective Board Member resumes

    SLPS Collaboration and Review

    The Office of Charter Partnerships staff as part of the SLPS Charter Sponsor Advisory Committee rigorously evaluate each element of the application. The Office of Charter Partnerships may raise concerns or recommend revisions and will work with the school to address them to finalize the document.

    Board Approval

    The board of the proposed charter school must formally approve the application. 

    STEP 2: The School and SLPS Renew Their Contract

    SLPS and the approved school agree to a separate contractual agreement that lays out additional terms defining the relationship between the two. The term of this contract covers the next five years of the school’s operation (or longer if the school qualifies as described above). The SLPS Board and the charter school’s board must approve and sign the agreement.

    STEP 3: DESE Submission and State Board Approval

    Once finalized and approved, the school submits the application to the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education for the Missouri State Board of Education’s approval, as outlined in Missouri’s Revised State Statutes. The deadline for submission to DESE is January 1.

    The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education reviews the application on behalf of the State Board of Education and may offer recommended changes to assure alignment with statute and regulations. Applicants are not required to accept Department recommendations outside of statutory or regulatory requirements.

    At the Missouri State Board of Education February meeting, DESE’s Coordinator of the Charter Schools Program office and the SLPS Office of Charter Partnerships present the renewal application for review and approval. An electronic copy of the final renewal application must be submitted to DESE Charter School coordinator in Jefferson City, Missouri.