Columbia members of Missouri House write letter seeking veto of charter schools bill

The Columbia members of the Missouri House of Representatives on Wednesday called on Gov. Mike Parson to veto a bill that would allow charter schools to expand in Boone County.

The appeal was in a letter to Parson signed by Democratic House members Doug Mann, Adrian Plank, Kathy Steinhoff and David Tyson Smith.

"Foremost among our concerns is the section in SB 727 that allows for the establishment of new charter schools in Boone County," the letter reads. "As representatives of this region, we have heard resounding opposition from our local schools and constituents regarding this portion of the bill. The expansion of charter schools in Boone County is strongly opposed because it will divert funding away from the Columbia Public School District and neighboring districts within our county, which are already facing significant financial challenges."

Charter schools initially were meant to address unaccredited districts in the state, but no Boone County districts are unaccredited, the letter continued.

Parents in Columbia Public Schools have many options available for their children, including lottery schools with special areas of emphasis including STEM and the arts, the members wrote.

The Columbia Board of Education previously approved a resolution opposing the bill because it could divert funding and because charter schools don't have the level of accountability that regular public schools have.

School board president Suzette Waters also appealed to district employees.

The bill was approved in the House on April 18 with 82 votes.

"We respectfully ask you to consider the negative consequences this will have on our public school districts and our communities and ask you to say 'yes" to our children and no to special interest groups and veto this bill," The letter reads. "We call on your leadership to prioritize the needs of our public schools and communities by rejecting measures that undermine public education and divert critical resources away from our students."

The legislators also are encouraging individuals and organizations concerned about the impact of charter schools on Boone County to send their own letters to the governor to encourage him to veto the bill, according to a news release.

Roger McKinney is the Tribune's education reporter. You can reach him at rmckinney@columbiatribune.com or 573-815-1719. He's on X at @rmckinney9.

This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: Columbia House members ask governor to veto charter schools bill