NEW ORLEANS – The Orleans Parish School Board (OPSB) announced it has received authorization from the Louisiana Department of Education to operate a second charter approval process this year. The goal of the additional charter application period is to give approved operators ample time to transition in staff and administration for the 2018 – 2019 school year.
OPSB plans to release the additional Request For Applications (RFAs) on Tuesday, Aug. 1. Applications will be received through Aug. 31, with final recommendations to be presented to OPSB during its December Board Business Meeting on Thursday, Dec. 14. Any provider without an existing OPSB charter that is interested in potentially converting or transitioning a school for the 2018 – 2019 school year is encouraged to apply during this cycle.
"We must continue to raise the bar for our students and our schools,” said OPSB President John Brown Sr. “Our goal is to ensure every child has access to an excellent school and we have much hard work ahead of us. While we are pleased with the response to our last charter application process, we are eager to solicit additional applications from high-quality, non-profit organizations seeking to serve our students."
As required by state law, OPSB will receive and review all eligible applications for Type 1 and Type 3 charter schools. The district plans to prioritize consideration of applications for the transformation or conversion of existing schools to ensure stability and continuity for students and families during the transition process and in advance of annual contractual reviews during the fall of 2017.
Each year a number of schools are subject to a required review of their contractual performance by either OPSB or the Recovery School District (RSD). This year, a total of 14 public charter schools in Orleans Parish are up for review. Should any of these schools not meet their established performance standards, the authorizer is required to act in order to ensure that students and families at these schools have continued access to high-quality school options.
Schools subject to review in the fall include:
“This special fall application cycle will provide us with the opportunity to rigorously review the performance of prospective school operators,” said Superintendent Lewis. “It will also allow us to provide for extended family and school community engagement in the event that any transitions may be necessary.”
OPSB currently oversees 32 schools, including 25 charter schools, six network schools and one educational program for students in secure care facilities.
