Charter schools lack oversight, audit says

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- While generally critical of a lack of sufficient oversight of Missouri's charter schools by their sponsors, a state audit released Wednesday credits Southeast Missouri State University with actively monitoring its charter school.

The report prepared by State Auditor Claire McCaskill's office says the charter school sponsors and the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education need to be more aggressive in ensuring the schools comply with state law and employ sound financial practices.

Southeast has sponsored the Lift for Life Academy in St. Louis since 1999. Its accountability procedures include monthly visits to the academy by Southeast officials and performance reviews that mirror the Missouri School Improvement Program, a rigorous evaluation process that traditional state public schools undergo periodically.

Southeast has also hired a former schools superintendent on a part-time basis to help academy officials ensure compliance with state law. Southeast president Ken Dobbins said there is some room for improvement but that the university is generally pleased with the academy's performance.

"This school sets a great example because some of these students wouldn't otherwise be in school, period," Dobbins said.

Charter schools, which by law are authorized only in St. Louis and Kansas City, are publicly funded schools that are allowed to operate free from many state regulations. In fiscal year 2003, charter schools served nearly 10,000 Missouri students at a cost of $73 million in state and federal funds.

The St. Louis School District, Central Missouri State University and the University of Missouri-Kansas City are other sponsors the audit says take an active role in overseeing their charter schools.

However, half of the eight institutions that sponsor charter schools provide only minimal oversight, according to the audit.

A University of Missouri-St. Louis official is cited as saying oversight of the two charter schools it sponsors is limited to "damage control." Harris-Stowe State College, the University of Missouri-Rolla and the Kansas City School District are the other sponsoring institutions whose oversight of charter schools is described as limited.

"Sound business practices dictate sponsors perform consistent, commonly recognized oversight procedures to ensure charter schools comply with state statutes and are accountable," the audit says.

Several of the sponsors pointed to a lack of state funding to cover the costs of more stringent oversight as the primary reason their efforts haven't been more thorough.

Most of the sponsors do not track oversight costs, but Southeast spends about $25,000 a year on accountability procedures, including the $7,500 salary of the retired superintendent who regularly visits Lift for Life.

As of September 2003, 13 of the state's 26 charter schools had failed to comply with the law that requires at least 80 percent of a school's teachers be certified. Lift for Life was among the violators, but Dobbins said steps are being taken to bring the school into compliance.

Six charter schools were also cited for failing to submit mandatory financial reports to the state in a timely manner. The Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education is authorized to withhold funding under such circumstances, but hasn't exercised that authority.

The audit says DESE should take a more active role in ensuring charter schools follow state law and are accountable to taxpayers. However, department officials say their authority over charter schools is limited.

The Missouri Legislature created charter schools in 1998 with the intent of providing students in the troubled St. Louis and Kansas City school districts with public education alternatives.

According to the results of academic performance tests released last week, only two of Missouri's 26 charter schools posted adequate yearly progress as defined by the federal No Child Left Behind Act.

mpowers@semissourian.com

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