NEW ORLEANS — In your Breakdown: New Orleans is the only major city in the country to have only charter schools. We’re looking at the history and going back to 2005.
In 2003, the state had already cued itself up to take over low-achieving schools, establishing RDS or “Recovery School District” in the legislature.
However, the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina expanded and accelerated its reach. RSD began taking over most Orleans Parish public schools and turning them into charter schools; publicly funded but run independently of the school board.
In 2018, state-run RSD returned power to the locally-elected Orleans Parish School Board.
But by 2019, New Orleans had become the first all-charter school system, with not a single direct-run school.
Currently, New Orleans schools are operated by charter management organizations that may run one school or a network of them.
The Louisiana Department of Education says since 2005… under the charter model… the graduation rate has risen by 18 percent… ACT scores have increased… and state test scores have, too.
But there are flaws and families who want the system gone. They point to cross-town busing, community disconnect, plus racial, language, and economic disparities.
That movement may be gaining momentum. For the first time in years, the Orleans Parish School Board will soon be running its own school as it closes Lafayette Academy. The school board has also asked the superintendent to draw up a blueprint for more direct-run schools long term.
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