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Charter high schools disappearing in Missouri

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Only one alternative charter high school is still operating in Missouri, prompting supporters to suggest the state change the way it measures progress at a school that serves only students who struggle academically or drop out.

The Star reports DeLaSalle Education Center in Kansas City is the only alternative charter high school among 45 charter schools operating in Kansas City and St. Louis. Only nine of the charter schools are high schools.

The school has stayed open because it raised millions of dollars to support its mission, which allows it to keep class sizes small and support special services. But students' test scores remain low, with the school earning only 24.2 percent of the possible points on state scoring in 2013.

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