ST. LOUIS • Nearly five years ago, a nonprofit group that built more than 100 homes in the depressed Hyde Park neighborhood opened up a charter school hoping to provide better opportunities to the children nearby.
In June, the school — Better Learning Communities Academy — will close as the result of poor academic outcomes.
The University of Missouri-Columbia notified the school in December that it would no longer sponsor the elementary school after June 30, making the school the second charter that will close this spring. A sponsor is required for any charter school to receive state funds.
Last month, Mizzou’s Office of Charter School Operations notified J that it would discontinue sponsorship as the result of the school’s academic and financial problems.
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“We have to stand by the academic outcomes and the academic quality of schools,†said Earl Simms, the ºüÀêÊÓƵ director of Mizzou’s charter school office.
Better Learning Communities Academy serves about 160 children in kindergarten through sixth grade. It operates inside Bethlehem Lutheran Church, 2153 Salisbury Street, and draws children only from the surrounding neighborhood.
School will continue as normal through the end of the school year. A transition team will work with parents to place children in district schools or other charter schools in the fall. Charter schools are tuition-free public schools that operate independently of school districts.
Officials with Better Learning Communities were hoping to have more time to improve outcomes.
“There’s a lot of sadness right now from the community, the parent and students,†said Kathleen Mueller, chairman of the board that oversees the school. “We felt like we were making progress.â€
On Missouri’s most recent annual performance scorecard, Better Learning Communities earned 28 percent of the points available in academics and attendance. The state noted improvements in English and math.
“We have made improvements but we haven’t improved as substantially as we’d hoped,†Mueller said.
The school is among those endorsed by Mayor Francis Slay, whose office has a vetting process to foster quality schools and discourage weak operators.
“This did not work,†said Carl Filler, director of strategic policy initiatives and community partnerships. “It’s not a happy moment but it’s understandable.â€
Both Jamaa and Better Learning Communities operate in ZIP codes where thousands of children lack access to high quality schools. Filler said Slay’s office is working to direct more successful charter school operators to open in areas such as Hyde Park.
“When charters are wanting to come in or expand, we point to the areas where charters are most needed,†he said.