ST. LOUIS — The Board of Education of the City of St. Louis (SLPS Board) has filed a lawsuit against the state to halt a new charter high school from opening.

What You Need To Know

  • St. Louis native Kimberly Neal-Brannum founded BELIEVE Circle City High School in Indianapolis in 2020 and is launching BELIEVE St. Louis Academy, a tuition-free, health science-centered early college and career prep high school in the city

  • The lawsuit, against the Missouri State Board of Education, the Missouri State Charter School Commission and BELIEVE St. Louis Academy, claims BELIEVE St. Louis Academy organizers did not provide the SLPS Board with a copy of their application within five days of filing with the Missouri State Charter School Commission, as required by law

  • A statement to Spectrum News from Neal-Brannum says SLPS was notified via email Sept. 19, 2023, about the intent of opening BELIEVE St. Louis Academy and that the head of the charter school office for the district attended a July 17 hearing

  • SLPS objects to the new charter school, citing a decline in population and enrollment numbers as St. Louis already has 21 districts and charter high schools with an enrollment average of 355 students

St. Louis native Kimberly Neal-Brannum founded BELIEVE Circle City High School in Indianapolis in 2020 and is launching BELIEVE St. Louis Academy, a tuition-free, health science-centered early college and career prep high school in the city, according to a press release.

The lawsuit, against the Missouri State Board of Education, the Missouri State Charter School Commission and BELIEVE St. Louis Academy, claims BELIEVE St. Louis Academy organizers did not provide the SLPS Board with a copy of their application within five days of filing with the Missouri State Charter School Commission, as required by law. 

“Believe STL failed to follow the law, but claimed in their application to the State Board of Education that they had,” a press release from SLPS states.

“State Law requires that new charter school applicants provide the local school board timely notice of the application to allow the school board to review the application and, if appropriate, file objections with the proposed sponsor and the State Board of Education.”

A statement to Spectrum News from Neal-Brannum says SLPS was notified via email Sept. 19, 2023, about the intent of opening BELIEVE St. Louis Academy and that the head of the charter school office for the district attended a July 17 hearing.

“We are confident that we have followed the law. We have repeatedly sought to engage SLPS alongside the many community partners and families who are eager for this new and innovative school,” Neal-Brannum said.

According to SLPS, the Charter School Commission held a hearing and approved the application without the SLPS Board being notified or having the opportunity to review the application.  

At an Oct. 17 meeting, the State Board of Education approved BELIEVE St. Louis Academy’s application “without acknowledging the statutory violation or the SLPS Board’s objections,” according to SLPS.

In addition to the state’s approval, the U.S. Department of Education awarded the academy nearly $2 million.  

“This is about two things,” said Antionette “Toni” Cousins, SLPS Board president. “State officials and the operators of this proposed school are ignoring the law, and the very real impact that adding yet another school will have on our city’s children.”

SLPS objects to the new charter school, citing a decline in population and enrollment numbers as St. Louis already has 21 districts and charter high schools with an enrollment average of 355 students.

“There are too many schools in St. Louis right now. If this charter doesn’t go out of business, another almost certainly will. Either way, a group of families and kids will be the ones to suffer, stuck looking for a new school with almost no notice,” Cousins said.

BELIEVE St. Louis Academy is “dedicated to closing the income gap for the next generation,” and will develop students into leaders through its “proven model,” according to the press release.

The Indianapolis campus was ranked No. 2 in the region on the SAT reading and writing section, where 85% of 11th and 12th grade-students participate in dual enrollment.

“As a former SLPS educator and graduate returning home to serve families that increasingly demand a high-quality school for their children, I am eager to work with the (SLPS) District and community partners in St. Louis committed to ensuring children have access to our proven college and career preparation curriculum,” Neal-Brannum said. 

“BELIEVE St. Louis Academy is a tuition-free, open-enrollment high school that will bring its proven high-quality college and career model to St. Louis in the 2024-2025 academic year.”

The Citywide Plan for Education Committee unveiled a blueprint in July that called for entities in the city to work together to reduce the number of schools and school operations, according to SLPS.

“Having fewer buildings to maintain means more money available for teaching and learning expenditures for students,” the blueprint reads. 

“It also provides more funding to school personnel such as nurses and counselors, along with funding for additional educational opportunities, including elective classes and Advanced Placement studies.”

Over the summer, a Cole County court found the State Board acted unlawfully after accepting a recommendation from the Charter School Commission for a Kansas City Charter School “without conducting an appropriate of data and evidence, which it is required to do under the Missouri Administrative Procedures Act,” according to SLPS.

The story has been updated to reflect comments from BELIEVE St. Louis Academy.