STEP Academy is an embattled St. Paul charter school that’s still fighting to stay open.

It has a growing operating budget deficit and two board members resigned at its school board meeting on Monday, and it was confirmed Wednesday that the superintendent has since as well. 

Meanwhile, the Minnesota Department of Education says 10 other charter schools have already closed or merged this year. The number doesn’t surprise charter school supporter turned critic University of Minnesota law professor Myron Orfield. 

“This is nothing new, this happens all the time,” said Orfield. 

State data also shows 124 charter schools have closed since the first one opened 32 years ago. 

“The charter school industry is a billion-dollar industry and kids get hurt in the mix,” said Orfield.

He blames little accountability and big promises to often immigrant families that make up much of the school populations. Orfield says that’s directly related to poverty, lower attendance and fewer college-bound kids. He released his first round of research on charter schools in 2008 called “Failed Promises: Assessing Charter Schools in the Twin Cities.”

“Charters are engines of racial segregation and deeply embedded in their business plans,” said Orfield. “They say, we’re going to create you a separate school and you’ll be safe and we’ll take care of you, it will be about your culture and everyone will go to college, but it’s a lie.”

A so-called authorizer does oversee every charter school. For example, Innovative Quality Schools is the authorizer for STEP Academy. They are usually a non-profit that the state also ranks and evaluates.

The authorizer and the charter school then enter into a contract. The schools are also subject to same legal requirements as traditional public schools like teacher licensing and financial reporting, according to MN Association of Charter Schools Executive Director Joey Cienian. 

“One size doesn’t really fit all, so you have kids that just have different needs and families who are looking for different things,” said Cienian.

Cienian says 68,000 students attend a Minnesota charter school and admits that a closure can also be a sign of success.

“Closures can provide an opportunity for kids to find a better school so they’re not stuck in a school that isn’t moving forward,” said Cienian. “They can also be really impactful and traumatic for students, families and communities, particularly if they’re sudden or unexpected.”

Charter school enrollment has grown, particularly during the pandemic. National data shows it increasing 9% in the last four years. Cienian points to its language and arts-focused programs, and devoted teachers as reasons why they can be so popular.

“I can’t say enough about how hard-working and dedicated and compassionate these folks are,” said Cienian. 

He also says the industry is improving its accountability and helped pass new laws during the last legislative session that require enhanced training for administrators, annual performance assessments, stronger conflict of interest protections and market studies to show evidence there’s a demand for a program before it can expand or open.

SAINT ANTHONY VILLAGE, Minn — One day just before the end of the 2021-22 school year, Amy Stenson Kujawski decided to take a stand on a growing problem at St. Anthony Middle School.

“At this point, two years after the pandemic, they were all looking at their phones,” Kujawski said.

She said students were on their phones in the hallway, in the lunchroom and in the classroom.

“Smart phones were everywhere. Our kids were always on them,” Kujawski said. “I felt like there was enough research out there to support what I knew in my gut. We had to make a significant change.”

Kujawski banned cell phones for the final three weeks of the school year.

“And those three weeks I think I had to make 160 phone calls to families to say there’s been another cell phone violation, I need you to come,” Kujawski said.

That new rule carried over to the following school year and became the norm.

“I don’t know if it felt bold, because it just felt like the right thing to do,” Kujawski said.

Now, St. Anthony Middle School or SAMS is in its second year of no cell phones allowed. Students like Ruth Whiting have to keep their phones in their lockers. If a phone is found in class, parents are called and phones can be sent home.

“I keep it just here in my backpack. So, it’s easy to get to when I’m out of school. But, it’s not gonna be like a distraction when I’m in school,” Ruth said.

SAMS is ahead of the curve. A state law passed last year mandates that all school districts in Minnesota must have a cell phone policy established by March 15, 2025.

Eighth grader Romyo Jones said it became a problem.

“If you’re like in a group chat, where people text a lot or like call out of nowhere randomly in the middle of class,” Jones said.

Ruth said she understands the need for restrictions.

“It’s really distracting and once you’re on your phone, it’s hard to get off of your phone and it can play into your mental health,” Ruth said.

Dr. Josh Stein is a child and adolescent psychiatrist at PrairieCare, a treatment organization. He believes excessive daily phone use by teens is a serious problem.

“Time of social media when it starts to pass four hours and five hours, we see that symptoms of mental illness start to really increase,” Stein said.

Dr. Stein said restricting cell phones in schools will reduce cyberbullying, as well.

“The phone has kind of allowed there’s no safe place anymore and especially we see teenagers. It’s a 24-hour cycle of using a phone,” Stein said.

Kujawski said cyberbullying was a big problem at SAMS.

“I was losing so much time because there would be harassment or bullying or just mean behavior on social media that would come into school and it would hijack my entire day,” Kujawski said. “I have seen the mental health impacts of the past decade in our school.”

As school districts across the state weigh what to do with cell phone policies, thinking about issues such as mental health and distractions, there is another issue to consider – security – according to students like Deandre Jones.

“What happens like if it was an emergency or something and I don’t have my phone on me and couldn’t call (anybody),” Deandre said.

John-Michael Keyes understands this better than most.

“Ask any parent, I think they’ll agree that, hey, I need to have the ability to contact my kid,” Keyes said.

He is not just any parent. His daughter Emily Keyes was killed by a stranger who intruded into her high school classroom west of Denver, Colorado in 2006.

“While my daughter was held hostage, she was able to send a text message. ‘I love u guys’,” Keyes said.

Emily’s final words to Keyes and his wife were delivered through Emily’s cell phone that she had in class.

“And, that’s been transformative in Ellen and I’s journey since then,” Keyes said.

Keyes and his wife Ellen started the I Love U Guys Foundation creating free crisis response programs for 50,000 schools and organizations across the country.

“Student notification capacity, I think it’s an important piece of the puzzle,” Keyes said.

He believes students need to have access to their cell phones for safety.

“If you ask somebody what the three greatest challenges in their last crisis was, the first greatest challenge is communication,” Keyes said.

Stein said the negative impacts on mental health are greater than communication issues which can be handled by the schools.

“The likelihood of that crisis situation is so slim compared to the ongoing potential detriment and damage,” Stein said. “The overarching good of limitations on phones in the school setting for well-being for mental health far outweighs those risks.”

“I don’t think there is real research and data that shows if we let them have their phones they’re safer,” Kujawski said.

At SAMS, Kujawski said her cell phone restriction is working — second year and counting. Bayleigh King, an eighth grader, said she does not miss her phone in school. 

“I thought it was a good idea because then people focus more in school,” Bayleigh said. “I feel like I’ve been focusing more without it.”

By March, every other school district will have to figure out its plan. Some may impose full restrictions like SAMS. Others may have a central location in classrooms for cell phones. Others may decide to allow students to keep their cell phones with them or develop another kind of variation.

“If our experience can help any other schools pull it off, I’m happy to share,” Kujawski said.

KARE 11 will follow the process of districts figuring out their cell phone policies through the school year and will report on what is decided across the state.

One thing Kujawski knows is that no matter what her school’s rules are, teens will still love their phones.

“As soon as they walk out the door, they’re on their phones,” Kujawski said.