The Missouri State Board of Education voted 5–1 on Tuesday to approve a Saint Louis University sponsored application from Frontier Schools to launch a STEM focused elementary campus in Columbia, clearing the way for the first state authorized charter in Boone County despite intense local pushback. Pamela Westbrooks‑Hodge was the lone "no" vote. The decision now sets the stage for a drawn out court and community fight over local control and school funding that could stretch on for months.
Board says rules were met
State education staff told the board that Frontier's application met Missouri's statutory requirements, and the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education recommended approval, a move board members said left them with little room to reject the petition. The board's Office of Quality Schools walked through the school's academic plan and a five year financial review before members cast their votes. According to ABC17, the board approved the plan on a 5–1 vote.
SLU sponsor and enrollment plan
Saint Louis University has agreed to sponsor the proposed school, and in a written sponsorship letter SLU's School of Education told state officials the Columbia campus would aim to open in either the 2026–27 or 2027–28 school year and enroll about 184 pre kindergarten through second grade students in its first year. The letter, signed by SLU assistant dean Alexandra Boyd, also formally transmitted Frontier's application to the State Board. Read the sponsorship letter via Frontier Schools.
Columbia schools object and sue
Columbia Public Schools filed suit in December seeking to block the 2024 law that opened the door for charter expansion into Boone County and asking a court to declare the statute unconstitutional. The district also sent an April 6 letter urging the State Board to turn down Frontier's application, arguing the proposal "lacks a demonstrated need" in the community and raising concerns about how special education services would be provided. The lawsuit was reported by KBIA, and the April 6 letter was reported by ABC17.
The law behind the fight
Opponents point to a 2024 state law that allowed charter operators to establish schools in counties with certain population sizes, a change critics say was effectively written with Boone County in mind. The legislation was signed by former Gov. Mike Parson in 2024 and is at the center of Columbia Public Schools' legal challenge. The law's passage was previously reported by the Associated Press as part of a broader education bill that expanded charter operations into select counties.
Frontier's record and what's next
Frontier Schools is a Kansas City based charter network that serves more than 1,600 students across four campuses, and Saint Louis University began sponsoring Frontier in 2023 as part of its public charter portfolio. With the state now signing off on the Columbia plan, Frontier must still choose a site, secure facilities in the area and nail down day to day operations before it can enroll students. Frontier and SLU say they plan community outreach and more detailed planning as the schedule firms up; see Frontier Schools and Saint Louis University for background.
Legal implications and next steps
The Columbia district's lawsuit asks a court to declare the 2024 law unconstitutional and to block the new school's opening, so future court rulings will determine whether the State Board's approval stands or gets put on ice. Board counsel told members they could not deny the application solely because of the pending lawsuit if staff had found the plan in compliance with state law, which is why the procedural record presented at the meeting ended up being crucial. The dispute and related filings were detailed in recent coverage by the Missouri Independent.
In a statement to St. Louis Public Radio, Frontier Superintendent Ugur Demircan said, "we are honored by the state board of education’s approval and excited to join the Columbia community." Columbia Public Schools has said it will continue to pursue its legal challenge even as the board's vote clears the key administrative hurdles for the charter to move forward.
