MO SB1033

Repeals and replaces sections 160.400 and 160.405 of Missouri law governing charter school establishment and operation.

Requires the state board of education to establish standards for charter school sponsors to conduct annual Missouri school improvement plan assessments evaluating curriculum, instruction, facilities, health and safety, educational programs, state performance standards, sponsor support and communication, nonprofit board performance, and partnership quality between district, sponsor, and school.

Authorizes the state board to require remedial action against sponsors failing to meet obligations, including withholding funding and suspending sponsorship authority for up to one year; if a sponsor's authority is removed, the state board becomes interim sponsor for up to three years.

Specifies charter school sponsor requirements including expending at least 90 percent of sponsorship funds on charter school support, conducting comprehensive application processes with rigorous criteria, negotiating clear contracts, monitoring compliance and performance, and making merit-based renewal decisions using comprehensive data.

Establishes that the department of elementary and secondary education retains 1.5 percent of state and local charter school funding (not exceeding $125,000 adjusted for inflation) to compensate sponsors, except when the sponsor is a school district or state board of education.