Author: KMIZ

Jazsmin Halliburton

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Missouri State Board of Education voted 5-1 on Tuesday to approve an application for a Columbia charter school.

The application was refiled by Frontier last week for a STEM charter school in Columbia. The Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education recommended the board authorize the Frontier STEM school for pre-K through fifth grade to operate for five years, starting in fall 2027.

Democrat Pamela Westbrooks-Hodge voted against the application.

Frontier runs a 1,595-student school in Kansas City.

Columbia Public Schools filed a lawsuit in December, claiming the establishment of charter schools is unconstitutional and asked the state board to oppose Frontier. The lawsuit was paused after Saint Louis University rescinded its application. An entry of appearance was last filed on March 13.   

The board was told by legal counsel that they must continue with application approval regardless of the status of the lawsuit.

SLU remains the sponsor of the Columbia charter school. Frontier Superintendent Ugur Demircan said the school was “excited to join the Columbia community.”

“Frontier Schools is committed to expanding high-quality educational opportunities through a proven, student-centered model that emphasizes academic excellence, innovation, and strong support for every learner,” Demircan said in a written statement. “We look forward to partnering with local families to prepare students for success in college, career, and life.”

Tuesday’s presentation was led by the state’s Office of Quality Schools Assistant Commissioner Lisa Sireno, who confirmed that Frontier met all of the state’s requirements for charter school applications. This includes terms of the charter, school policies and a description of the curriculum.

Sireno also presented the school’s five-year plan. The school plans to start operations in 2027 with only pre-K through second-grade students. This will progress every year with the school adding grades until they add fifth-grade students by the start of the 2031-32 school year and having full enrollment by the 2032-33 school year.

In a letter to the State Board of Education dated April 6, the Columbia Board of Education urged the State Board of Education to vote against the approval of Frontier Charter Schools.

The letter calls out the targeted nature of SB 272 and questions the need and motivations of a charter school in the area.

“[Frontier’s] application lacks a demonstrated need in our region, offers misleading claims, relies on erroneous assumptions, and fails to adhere to governing statutes,” according to the letter.

They argue that Frontier claims to enroll on a first-come, first-served or lottery basis instead of focusing on underperforming communities and students. This contradicts their claim that a charter school is needed in Boone County to bridge the gap in student achievement.

CPS also questions Frontier’s special education services. CPS claims Frontier’s existing schools had an average 6% enrollment of students receiving special education services. CPS had an average of a little more than 12%.

“This is not local interest. This is charter school operators taking advantage of money that is available from the federal government,” according to the letter.

“A lot of folks don’t think that it’s necessary or needed because, again, Columbia Public Schools is a high-achieving, school district, to create another system that’s trying to replicate that isn’t a fiscally responsible thing,” Board President John Lyman said.

Frontier’s Director of Communications & Outreach, Jennifer Grey said Frontier has participated in several community events and conversations with the local community.

“At a recent Columbia Chamber of Commerce event, we spoke directly with families, educators, and local leaders, where many expressed interest in additional public school options—particularly those with a strong STEM focus and more personalized learning environments,” Grey said in a statement.

The board also questioned Frontier’s planned curriculum, asking what made it different than what Columbia Public Schools provides. This includes two STEM based programs at Benton STEM Elementary School and Jefferson Middle School.

Frontier Superintendent Ugur Demircan said Frontier STEM Academy Elementary will provide a focus on STEM education with additional STEM, digital arts and music classes.

“They [CPS] have two schools at this time and they have 18,000 students, so it will be good to expand opportunities for other parents as well,” Demircan adds. “So we will offer additional assistance opportunities for the parents in Columbia.”

Pamela Westbrooks-Hodge asked the board if Columbia could provide background on their current STEM programs, but was denied due to board meeting procedures.

Frontier’s school sponsor, St. Louis University Professor Alexandra Boyd mentioned a possible partnership with CPS.

“I’m very excited about the possibility of the leadership of Frontier, working with the leadership of CPS to build something that’s dynamic for the entire state, because both of their systems are improving drastically,” Boyd said.

CPD claims this possibility is new to them.

“It’s news, it’s not surprising,” Lyman said. “Whenever a new entity comes in, they’re going to want to pair up with what works.”

Due to the Office of Quality Schools already approving that Frontier’s application met the necessary requirements, the state board would only be able to deny the application if there was proof that a requirement was not met.

“You have the option to approve or deny the application,” Sireno said. “Denial would be based on failure to meet the statutory requirements so, yes, then in that in this case, that would require you to disagree with the staff analysis that all of those boxes have been ticked.”

This received some pushback and confusion from board members.

“Law requires this board to approve the application because all the other requirements have been met,” Westbrooks-Hodge said. “Based on the denial of choice to the people of Columbia, based on the letter of objection from CPS, the stellar growth of CPS, I find this application problematic, and it’s difficult for me as a financial professional to support it.”

“In my assumption what you, our staff are saying, because they’ve met all the requirements which we have said they’re required to meet, we have no other option but to support this,” Missouri State Board of Education Vice President Brooks Miller Jr. said. “it would be inappropriate for us to move the goalposts, you know, because the issues expressed here.”

The letter also mentions a lack of local voices in the Frontier’s application. CPS claims that the state board had grounds to deny the application since Frontier did not notify its board of education and did not provide evidence of interest in the school from the community, both requirements in the application.

“When a charter organization goes and talks to a sponsor, before they can even talk to that sponsor, we have to know about that five days in advance,” Lyman said. “We only heard about the application after SLU had already accepted it, we should have heard about it before  that.”

Missouri charter schools follow the same funding formula as public school districts, with state funding being based on daily student attendance and local tax dollars.

Supporters of charter schools argue they give families a choice in their children’s education, particularly in underperforming districts.

Opponents argue that charter schools divert public funding from traditional districts, weakening well-performing schools and limiting resources for underperforming ones that need additional support.

CPS argued the state’s Republican-led legislature purposely targeted Boone County for the expansion of charter schools through Senate Bill 727, which was signed by Gov. Mike Parson in May 2024.

SB 727 states that charter schools can be operated in counties “between 150,000 and 200,000 inhabitants.” While the bill does not call out Boone County by name, census data finds that Boone County is the only county in the state that falls between these guidelines.

According to Gray, Frontier will begin looking for locations to build the school.

“We will begin exploring potential sites in Columbia and look forward to identifying a location that best serves students and families while supporting our educational program,” Gray said in a statement.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The northbound lanes of North Providence Road in Columbia near Hickman High School were taped off by police on Monday evening.

The road was closed after a crash. Boone County Joint Communications sent a notification at 10:11 p.m. stating that a vehicle collision happened at North Providence Road at East Forest Avenue.

Columbia Police Department spokesman Colin Imhoff wrote in an email that police were called at 9:45 p.m. and that one person was brought to an area hospital.

Anthony Bowne, of the Columbia Police Department, told ABC 17 News at the scene that a 33-year-old man was hit while he was crossing the road. The road will be closed for about 2 hours. The man had serious injuries.

The pedestrian and the driver have not been identified.

Traffic will be diverted to Third Street while the road is closed, according to Bowne.

Check back for updates.

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ABC 17 News Team

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The northbound ramps for getting on and off Highway 63 at Grindstone Parkway in Columbia will close beginning on Monday, April 20, according to a Monday press release from the Missouri Department of Transportation.

Both northbound ramps are expected to be reopened by the end of June, the release says. The southbound ramps will not be affected.

“Currently, East New Haven Road is closed from just east of the U.S. Route 63 northbound on- and off-ramps to the new alignment of Lenoir Street and a portion of Lemone Industrial Boulevard is closed where it joins East New Haven Road,” the release says. “These roadways closed in March 2026 for electrical work, drainage improvements, roadway widening/reconstruction, and the addition of two new traffic signals on New Haven Road to improve traffic flow.”

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Ryan Shiner

Paul Allen Dollar

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Rolla man was charged on Monday in Phelps County with a count of possessing child pornography.

Paull Allen Dollar, 62, is being held at the Phelps County Jail on a $25,000 bond. A confined docket hearing is scheduled for 8 a.m. Tuesday.

The probable cause statement says police were called on Saturday and spoke with someone who had been posing as a 14-year-old girl online and had been talking with Dollar since November.

Dollar allegedly admitted to police that he “may have had nude pictures of underage females sent to him in the past but he believed he had deleted them,” the statement says. Police found two images on Dollar’s phone featuring sexually explicit images of children much younger than was previously listed, the statement says.

Police also wrote that they found other “sexual conversations” Dollar had with people who had sent him pictures of child, the statement says.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Rolla woman was charged with a pair of felonies after a child allegedly fell out of a Nissan Altima on April 4.

Kirsten McCracken was charged on Friday in Phelps County with child abuse and endangering the welfare of a child. A warrant was issued and no bond was set.

The probable cause statement says Rolla police were called to the 3700 block of Route V after a 3-year-old girl fell out of a moving vehicle. McCracken allegedly told police that she left Reagan Drive with the youth being in a child safety seat, but the girl was able to unbuckle herself, opened a door and fell out of the vehicle, the statement says.

Officers noted that the child’s car seat was not properly fastened and that she had cuts with “heavy bleeding” that required her to be flown to a hospital, the statement says. Police also wrote that the girl tested positive for methamphetamine.

“McCracken was unable to provide a reasonable explanation for how,” the youth tested positive for meth, the statement says.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Several charges against a Boone County dog breeder have been dropped after a superseding indictment was filed on Friday.

Melissa Sanders, 26, of Columbia, is now charged with 13 counts of felony animal abuse and a lone count of misdemeanor animal abuse. She is being held at the Boone County Jail without bond. She previously faced 29 felony counts of animal abuse.

An arraignment for the new set of charges is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. Monday, April 20. A jury trial was scheduled for the following week.

Sanders ran Magnum Opus German Shepherds and a number of dead dogs, including a dozen dog skulls, were found at the property of the business when law enforcement served a search warrant in 2025, according to court documents in previous reporting. Several malnourished dogs were also found at the property.

Court documents say at least two living dogs that were found were on the brink of death.

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Ryan Shiner

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

Cody Holt was approved by the Jefferson City Council and sworn in as the new Ward 2 member during a Monday work session.

Holt was one of three people who expressed interest in the job after Aaron Mealy announced his resignation in March. The council approved Holts with an 8-1 vote, with Ward 3 Councilman Derek Thomas being the sole “no” vote.

During a brief presentation to council members, Holt talked his service on the city’s homelessness task force and how that showed him the benefits of coordinating services amid multiple organizations. He also said he thinks that when it comes to growth and development in the city, it’s important to slow down when necessary and ask tough questions to make sure it happens in the best way for the community and its citizens.

Alicia Edwards and Edith Vogel were the other people who expressed interest, but Holt was the candidate nominated last week.

ABC 17 News obtained copies of the letters of interest, and Holt’s submission was the most detailed, spanning two pages, previous reporting shows. In his letter, he outlined several priorities, including addressing homelessness, promoting responsible economic development, and improving the city’s core infrastructure.

Check back for updates.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Mexico, Missouri, man was charged with a felony and a misdemeanor on Saturday in connection with a rollover crash that happened earlier this month.  

William Ray Johnson was charged with driving while intoxicated – causing serious physical injury and misdemeanor reckless driving. An initial court appearance is scheduled for 9 a.m. Tuesday, April 28.

The probable cause statement says officers were called at 7:04 p.m. April 1 to the 4800 block of South Clark Street in Mexico for a rollover crash. Officers reported smelling marijuana in the overturned 2015 Cadillac XTS, as well as finding blunts in the vehicle. Johnson was the driver and a person described as the victim was the passenger, the statement says.

Johnson allegedly was being put in the back of an ambulance and officers noted that his breath smelled like alcohol and his eyes were bloodshot and glassy, the statement says. Johnson allegedly admitted to drinking before the crash, court documents say.

Witnesses told police and nearby video cameras allegedly caught the vehicle speeding, crashing into an embankment and overturning, court documents say. The victim allegedly told police that he met up with Johnson at a bar and that Johnson wanted to show him his new vehicle, the statement says.

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Mitchell Kaminski

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Monday night’s Columbia Board of Education meeting was abruptly halted after a group of residents protested the district’s decision to replace its chief equity officer. 

Last week, Columbia Public Schools posted a job opening for chief equity officer, a position previously held by Carla London. London was responsible for training homeschool communicators and overseeing data to reduce educational disparities. 

During Monday’s board meeting, several speakers criticized the decision, accusing the board of voting 6-1 to replace her. Three people had signed up to speak, including representatives of Homeschool Communicators, who said the move eroded trust and conflicted with the district’s values. 

After the scheduled speakers finished, additional attendees who had not signed up requested to speak, but the board denied the request. Following a tense exchange in which the board threatened to call security, Board President John Lyman called for a 10-minute recess, as a group of attendees began singing “We Shall Overcome” in protest.

Following the recess, the board voted to allow three additional speakers. All three continued to voice their support for London and condemned the district’s decision, which included a representative from the NAACP. 

Employee salary increases approved

The Board of Education also approved an increase in employee salaries across the district. The plan includes a recommended increase of $14.2 million to the 2026-27 operating budget. 

This includes $5.4 million in increased salaries and $848,551 in fully funded benefit costs.  

Currently, the average CPS employee salary is sitting at $58,806, with teachers averaging $63,940. The changes will bump the average employee salary up to $61,816, with teachers averaging $65,101 in the next fiscal year. 

According to a presentation from CPS Chief Financial Officer Heather McArthur, the district is also looking to add 18 new full-time positions at a cost of $1.1 million. On top of the 18 extra full-time staff members the changes will include budgeting for 27 positions that were previously funded by grants. This included six elementary instructional coaches, seven middle school instructional mentors and eight english learning instructional aids. 

CPS officials also recommended that the board create a new position, executive director of alternative education, who would also serve as principal at Douglass High School. The role would oversee alternative education programs across the district.

To counter the changes, the district will eliminate three full-time positions, which is estimated to free up $660,000 in the budget. This includes the Director of Assessment, Intervention, and Data, the Assistant Director of the Columbia Area Career Center, and the Coordinator of Secondary Gifted Education, which will be converted to K-12. McArthur tells ABC 17 News that all three positions are currently held by employees who are either retiring or resigning by the end of the year, and that the district is choosing not to fill them.  

The school board also voted in favor of a collective bargaining agreement with the Columbia Missouri National Education Association.

The tentative agreement was reached on Feb. 27 and ratified by CMNEA members in April. The agreement includes a $1,400 base salary increase, raising the minimum salary from $44,200 to $45,600, and adds one contract day for a total of 188 days. The additional day will be teacher-directed.

The changes carry an estimated $3.2 million cost for salary adjustments and about $4.2 million overall, including related retirement and payroll expenses. The agreement also extends the salary schedule to 32 years, creates a new pay scale for speech-language pathologists and updates the learning specialist salary schedule to aid recruitment and retention.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A motorcycle rider was flown to University Hospital on Saturday night after they crashed in Osage Beach, according to a Monday press release form the Osage Beach Police Department.

The crash occurred at 10:26 p.m. Saturday, the release says.

The release says someone from Texas road a 2006 Victory Kingpin on Barry Prewitt Memorial Drive when they failed to negotiate a curve, crossed the centerline and hit a curb. The rider was thrown from the motorcycle and landed on Columbia Boulevard, the release says.

Details about the rider’s identity was not released. The release did not say if the rider was wearing a helmet at the time of the crash.

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