A new Thomas B. Fordham Institute analysis, described by research director David Griffith in The 74, finds that Missouri charter schools still receive about $5,500 less per student than the St. Louis and Kansas City districts. That gap remains even after a 2022 state law, HB 1552, added roughly $4,000 per charter student. Charters now enroll about 41% of public school students in St. Louis and 51% in Kansas City, and their students make significantly more academic progress than their district peers.
Key Points
- Before HB 1552, Missouri charters received about 30% less total revenue per pupil than district schools in St. Louis and Kansas City.
- Both districts now receive about $23,000 per student in local revenue alone, and they have no legal obligation to share it with charters as students leave.
- HB 1552 now costs $189 million a year, nearly triple the original projection, and the gap persists because district local funding per pupil keeps rising as district enrollment falls.
Implications for Educational Freedom
Missouri charters are producing better results with less money. Instead of writing ever-larger state checks, the article argues that local revenue should follow students to charters on an equitable basis, as Indiana now requires of Indianapolis Public Schools.
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