Funded: Charters

Charter funding policies and reporting practices within each state may vary depending on the entity that authorized the charter school. Charter schools in Missouri may be authorized by local school districts, the Missouri Charter Public School Commission, and other entities, such as institutions of higher education.

Funding for charter schools in Missouri is calculated based on a formula similar to the one used to calculate funding for traditional public schools.

Like traditional public schools, charter schools are funded through a student-based funding formula, adjusted for regional costs in their students’ school district of residence and weighted for student characteristics, including for students from low-income households, for English-language learners, and for students with disabilities. Charter schools in Missouri also receive a share of local property tax revenue in their students’ district(s) of residence, based on a student count weighted for these same characteristics.

Charter schools in Missouri receive all funding directly from the state.

Charter schools in Missouri will have a share of their funding withheld, with the maximum set by state law.

The Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education will retain 1.5% of total charter school funding, not to exceed $125,000, and remit it to the charter school’s sponsor to defray the costs of sponsorship. State law also places restrictions on how the sponsor may spend these funds.

All charter schools in Missouri receive a share of local tax revenue, which the state withholds from payments to the school districts.

Charter schools in Missouri also receive a share of local property tax revenue in their students’ district(s) of residence, based on a student count weighted for certain student characteristics. The state provides local funding for charter schools in Missouri by withholding an equivalent amount of state aid for school districts where charter students reside.

Charter schools in Missouri constitute their own local education agencies.

However, there is one Kansas City charter school which is sponsored by the Kansas City School District and is a part of the district’s local education agency.

Charter school students in Missouri are counted as students of the charter they attend for state reporting purposes.

State funding for charter schools in Missouri is reported separately from state funding for any district.

Charter school expenditures in Missouri are reported separately from expenditures of any school district.

Click here for Missouri's traditional district funding information.