State board approves Midtown charter school opening in 2016

File photo.

Citizens of the World now has the final green light to open two elementary schools in Midtown in the fall of 2016.

The Missouri State Board of Education gave approval to the Citizens of the World charter yesterday. The Missouri Charter Public School Commission, a new statewide sponsor of charter schools, approved the charter in July.

“Granting the charter is a validation of all the community’s hard work and motivation to bring another public school option to the community. What’s clear is that families are choosing to stay in Kansas City, and we’re committed to providing students with an excellent learning experience that will guide them to their full potential,” Kristin Droege, Citizens of the World Kansas City’s executive director, said in a press release.

The schools will open in August of 2016 and initially serve 288 kindergarten students and first grade students. The schools plan to add a grade each year until they are able to provide K-12 classes. The group says it eventually intends to operate four schools including elementary, middle and high school classes serving 1,750 students.

Citizens of the World came to Kansas City after the Kansas City Midtown Community School Initiative (MCSI), a group of Midtown parents and community members, issued a request for proposals for schools. The Midtown group chose Citizens of the World, which also runs schools in Los Angeles and New York.

The chairperson of the Missouri Charter Public School Commission, Alicia Herald, said her organization thinks Citizens of the World will provide Midtown families with “a quality public school option.”

“I knew when I heard from the parents and community members that this school was a match for Midtown. My excitement about the potential of this school grew when we interviewed the knowledgeable and dedicated community members who are serving on the board,” Commissioner Peggy Taylor said in an announcement following the decision.  “This school will be successful because of the clarity of its mission, the quality of its partnership and the talent of its board.”