KANSAS CITY, Mo — Genesis School in Kansas City may be forced to shutdown come June 30, 2023. The Missouri Charter Public School Commission notified administration last month in an official notice that it plans to revoke the school’s charter, claiming historically low performance.
“A, we’re not closed yet. B, there’s another side to the story depending on what statistics you use and what you look at," said Executive Director of Genesis School, Kevin Foster, "I just feel this really intense responsibility to advocate for the community that supports the school and the school community that attends it.”
Genesis School has been serving the community for 47 years with a focus on individual student attention, small classrooms and above-and-beyond accommodations for families and students.
Foster is especially proud of their efforts during the pandemic to serve their students in-person.
“93 percent of all the students that go to school here, attended here in person,” said Foster. “We had really large waiting list and to be one year later, defending our school and our organization and how we serve families, and how we meet their academic needs is disappointing.”
Foster admits the school is performing below the state level, but when it comes to growth, they have been in the top 20 to 50 percent for the last seven years.
“It’s not about what percentage of your kids are proficient or advanced, but it’s how are students growing at your school compared to other schools,” said Foster. “20-21 MAP results came out and they showed we had really good growth. Our growth was some of the highest in the state of Missouri.”
In 2020, the charter was renewed on academic probation by its sponsor at the time, University of Missouri. From 2020 to 2021, it operated with MU and met all the obligations agreed upon with the sponsor.
Genesis School signed on with MCPSC last January and have been working with the commissioners on a set of standards and shared academic vision. Foster feels there has not bee enough opportunities to do so.
“We’re looking forward to a fair hearing in front of the commissioners,” said Foster.
For Charles Kenneth Starr II, he cannot imagine sending his son anywhere else. His 10-year-old has been attending Genesis since Kindergarten — it is all he knows.
“The school really works with kids. You know like, if they got some kind of problem, they don’t try to tease ‘em or put ‘em down or whatever. They sit them down and work with them. I saw this with my own eyes,” said Kenneth Star II.
Parents say they love the smaller classrooms and appreciate the free before and after school programs offered by the Boys and Girls Club. It is the family-like culture that makes the learning in the classrooms so special.
“My kids coming from public school district to a charter, they in the beginning were not good readers. Genesis took out a lot of time, implemented the IPS, got them the help they needed and they’re reading top of their class now,” said mother of five alums, Antoinette Allen.
According to the school, 50 percent of students at Genesis School chose Genesis as their first choice on their applications. If the school shuts down, it would create a lack of choice and convenience for a lot of families in the area where the school is located.
“Your kids don’t go here, you don’t know what we’re going through, you don’t know by shutting this school down what it would do to the community over this way — you’re on the outside looking in,” said Kenneth Star II.
KSHB 41 reached out to all the commissioners and received this statement:
“The school has requested the Commission hold an administrative hearing on this matter, which we are going to do. As a commissioner, it would be unfair to the school if I were to comment one way or another before they have their hearing. Details about the administrative hearing will be available on our website by Monday.”
