Nontraditional schools plan events for National School Choice Week

The Pelican State is hosting 244 events to raise awareness about K-12 school choice opportunities this week in celebration of National School Choice Week. It is being recognized Jan. 24-30.

The events in Louisiana are independently planned and funded . Events include information sessions, open houses at schools, rallies, policy discussions, and movie screenings organized by community groups.

“Louisiana has developed some of America’s most diverse and innovative school choice policies and offerings,” National School Choice Week President Andrew R. Campanella said in a news release.

Louisiana parents can choose the following education options: traditional public schools, public charter schools, magnet schools, online academies, private schools, and homeschooling.

St. Mary Parish has one charter school, V.B. Glencoe Charter in Franklin. The school did not plan an event for School Choice Awareness week.

“Well, we don’t do a lot of outside anything,” Glencoe Charter School director Michael Parrie said. “We try to fly under the radar. … We take care of our own ... but we are a school of choice.”

Glencoe is one of the oldest charter schools in the state. It opened in September 1999.

Glencoe is a type-2 legacy school, which is different from the newer schools.

There are eight legacy schools in the state. Of the legacy charter schools, all of them are basically A or B schools, Parrie said.

Legacy is a title for beginning charter schools in the state, which is pre-Katrina before the rise of the Recovery School District.

“If we aren’t the oldest existing charter in the state, we’re the second,” Parrie said.

“We are a system all to our own. We’re not connected to either St. Mary or Iberia Parish (school system).”

Glencoe is a K-8 school. There are two classes for each grade level. In addition to providing regular core subjects, it also provides classes in art, physical education, special education and speech.

The school performance score for the 2014-15 school year was a B (98.9). Its score for 2013-14 was an A (100.9).

Total enrollment as of Oct. 1 was 367 students. Students come from both St. Mary and Iberia Parishes.

“I send three buses to Franklin,” Parrie said. “I send two buses to Jeanerette that’s in Iberia Parish.

“And then I have another bus that picks up in the country area and this area.”

Glencoe is accepting applications for the 2016-17 school year . In order for a student to be included in the March lottery, applications must be in by March 7. By law, any child in the state can apply for the school admission lottery. Anyone not chosen will placed on a waiting listing.

“We try to get everyone in that wants to get in,” Parrie said.

The St. Mary Parish School Board is required to offer school choice to eligible students.

In some parts of the state, open enrollment policies allow parents to select the best traditional public school, regardless of the where the school is located.

If a student’s school, in the most recent year, received a school performance score of D or F, then parents can enroll their children in other schools that have a school performance score of C or better. There must also be space available at the student’s grade level.

If a child is accepted under Act 853 (2014) to transfer to another, higher-performing school, it’s only for the school year applied. School choice enrollment is on an annual basis.

Students living outside of the parish can attend schools under the school choice option.

Students expelled for disciplinary reasons, suspended more than once, involved in more than one fight or act of violence on school grounds in the prior school year are considered ineligible to enroll through school choice.

Also , students found in possession of illegal drugs on school grounds or more than 10 unexcused absences are ineligible.

Parents are responsible for transporting their children to and from school. The district will not provide transportation.

The Office of Child Welfare, located at the Central Office Complex, handles school choice applications. All applications must be received by the 10th day of the school year.

The performance ratings for the district in 2014-15 revealed four A schools (100-150), six B schools (85-99.9), 10 C schools (70-84.9), and three D schools (50-69.9).

The three D schools are LaGrange Elementary (50.8), J.A. Hernandez Elementary (47.4), both located in Franklin, and Raintree Elementary (57.7) in Baldwin.

The state also has private school choice programs that allow qualifying children to receive scholarships to attend private schools and allow parents to deduct private school tuition from their state income taxes.

Families can apply for the Louisiana Scholarship Program online (www.lascholarshipprogram.org) or at the participating school of their choice until Feb. 26.

Central Catholic High School is a private school option for school choice in Morgan City.

“National School Choice Week will shine a positive spotlight on these options so that more parents can learn about the opportunities available to their kids,” Campanella said.