KANSAS CITY, Mo — Every five years, a Missouri charter school must meet certain criteria for their charter to be renewed. Genesis School is currently going through that process.
The Missouri Charter Public School Commission, an independent sponsoring entity comprised of citizens appointed by the governor, held a public hearing on Tuesday in the school gymnasium.
Teachers, parents and students all explained why the charter school should stay open.
"I'm here explaining as an educator of 40 years with a master's [degree] in the KCMO school district, this is a diamond in the rough," a teacher said.
The commission considers several factors when deciding whether or not to renew a school's charter, including financial operations, their academic plan, performance and quality of education.
In 2023, Genesis School was at risk of being closed for the school year after the commission revoked their charter for academic performance.
A judge reinstated their credentials after saying the basis of the decision was illegal.
Eloise Franklin-Magitt volunteers with a group called "foster grandparents."
She was just as sure then, as she is now, that Genesis' doors weren't meant to close.
"We are meant to be and we was gonna be," Franklin-Magitt said.
Franklin-Magitt believes the school's presence is critical to the financial success of future generations.
"We don’t have the schools we used to have. When I was raising my children, there was choices of schools a lot have been closed and some buildings were torn down," she said. "There is not many choices of schools in this neighborhood."
What do the numbers say?
The Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education released their Annual Performance Report (APR) this month for Missouri Schools.
APR scores are data points the state uses to determine accreditation for public schools and track academic progress.
An education commissioner told KSHB 41 more than 86% of district and charter schools in the state met or exceeded expectations.
Charter sponsors will consider the annual report when making renewal decisions.
Genesis School had an overrall APR score of 72.7%. That's 10.7% higher than they scored last year.
The school hit the state's highest threshold in Academic Achievement Growth in English Language Arts (ELA) and Mathematics.
However, they also met the lowest threshold for college and career readiness.
Regardless, some parents at Tuesday's meeting expressed their kids are excelling in the classroom.
"My oldest son has an IEP and I have seen tremendous score raises," a parent said.
Teachers want the commission to acknowledge the school's growth, specifically within the past year.
"We are moving in the right direction – we would be remiss if we didn’t look at that."
What's next?
According to the commission's website, schools that have low academic performance, financial difficulties or violate state and federal statues are subject to non-renewal or revocation.
There are three closed charter schools on their website, all based in St. Louis, Missouri.
The commission only has one meeting left in 2024. They won't make a renewal decision for Genesis until around February 2025.
Renewal is also up to the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.
While Genesis continues to advocate for a resounding "yes" from state officials and sponsors, the community is right alongside of them.
Franklin-Magitt said: "I’m very confident they will see and decide we need to stay. Whether I’m still here or not, the school needs to be here."
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KSHB 41 reporter Alyssa Jackson covers portions of Johnson County, including neighborhoods in Overland Park, Shawnee and Mission. Share your story idea with Alyssa.