Jeff Klein, superintendent of Columbia Public Schools, discusses Monday the district’s lawsuit to block establishment of a charter school in Boone County. Klein was joined at the news conference by, from left, John Lyman, president of the Columbia Board of Education, Erica Dickson and Suzette Waters, board members (Rudi Keller\/Missouri Independent).<\/p>\n
Missouri\u2019s fourth-largest school district <\/span>sued the state<\/span><\/a> Monday to prevent establishment of a new charter school in Boone County.<\/span><\/p>\n Columbia Public Schools wants the courts to declare <\/span>a law passed in 2024<\/span><\/a> unconstitutional, arguing that it is a local law for one county masquerading as a general law for the entire state.<\/span><\/p>\n The district waited to file the lawsuit until <\/span>Frontier Schools<\/span><\/a>, a Kansas City-based charter operator, <\/span>applied to the State Board of Education<\/span><\/a> because it represents a threat to the district\u2019s financial health, district leaders said at a news conference.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThese actions are about protecting constitutional principles and ensuring the public education decisions in Boone County are made by people who are accountable to the voters and the families that live here,\u201d said John Lyman, president of the Columbia Board of Education.<\/span><\/p>\n The district alleges that the law allowing a charter school in Boone County was passed without the proper notification <\/span>required by the Missouri Constitution<\/span><\/a> for \u201clocal or special laws.\u201d In addition to overturning the law, the lawsuit asks the court to prevent the state board from voting on the application while the lawsuit is pending.<\/span><\/p>\n In a message to parents explaining why the district filed the lawsuit, the board insisted it did not oppose the concept of school choice for parents.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cParents can choose now to send their children to a private or parochial school, and there are scholarships for families in need,\u201d the message stated. \u201cPublic education exists to serve all children and charters simply do not.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n\n