A charter school is a free, independent public school that operates outside of a school district. Charter schools are granted greater flexibility in return for greater accountability. Missouri charter schools are governed by independent boards and are non-profit organizations. You can learn more about charter schools from our charter sponsor, Missouri Charter Public School Commission.

Kairos is a public school and is prohibited from charging tuition. We receive per-pupil public funds similar to district schools. While Missouri law requires us to receive 100% of the funding, the reality is that charter school per pupil funding is slightly smaller than what the local district receives. As with most states, Missouri charter schools do not receive capital funds to support facility expenses. Charter schools are entitled to federal categorical funding for which their students are eligible, such as Title I and Special Education monies. Federal legislation provides grants to help charters to manage start-up costs. If you’d like to learn more about monetarily supporting Kairos, please click here.

Public charter schools are public schools established by teachers, parents, principals, educational experts, and entrepreneurs. The biggest difference is that no student is assigned to a charter school. Families choose to enroll their children in public charter schools. Public charter schools operate free from some of the regulations of a school district. Charter schools are accountable for achieving the same state standards as school districts but may choose to use different measures and timelines for reaching their goals. In exchange for flexibility, charters can be closed if they do not keep their performance promises. Public charter schools are governed by non-profit boards and must comply with their “charter” agreement and performance contract conditions. Unlike elected district boards, charter school boards are appointed and operate under Missouri Statutes that regulate non-profit organizations.

Kairos Academies is enrolling grades 5-11 for the 2024-25 school year. We will enroll students in grades 5-12 beginning in the 2025-26 school year and every year after.

We are a public school which means we are open to all students in the area we serve. We accept our students by a random, public lottery. To apply to our schools, go to SchoolAppSTL.

Kairos Academies is one of 12 St. Louis public charter organizations working together to simplify our initial application process into one easy form, SchoolAppSTL, that you can fill out on any electronic device. The application allows you to apply to our school in less than 3 minutes and makes applying to schools easier, more accessible and more transparent. To apply to Kairos, go to SchoolAppSTL. Have a specific enrollment question? Let us know by emailing enrollment@kairosacademies.org or by calling 314-252-0602.

We believe that education is the best gift you can give and thank you for your consideration in supporting our mission. You can donate by clicking here, or learn more about volunteering here.

We invite you to visit our Careers page to see our current job openings, chat one-on-one with our Director of Talent, or to submit your resume for us to have on file should a good fit position come up.