BESE evaluator recommends approval of Red River Charter

Does not recommend Avoyelles Children's Charter for this year

By RAYMOND L. DAYE

   An independent evaluator has recommended the state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education approve the application of a proposed charter school in Avoyelles Parish.
   Representatives of Red River Charter Academy (RRCA) said they are pleased with the recommendation and will now go on to the next step in the process -- obtaining BESE approval to operate a junior high middle school in Avoyelles.
   That was supposed to happen at BESE’s Oct. 14 meeting, but may be delayed until Dec. 1 due to delays in receiving state assessment test results from last school year.
   The Avoyelles Children’s Charter (ACC) was not recommended for BESE approval.
   Kelsey Osman, school leader for ACC, said the evaluator had only a few issues with the application. Those working on the proposed charter school will not present their case to BESE, but will continue their efforts and submit an application for an elementary charter school next year, she said.
   Both groups had applied to the Avoyelles School Board last year and earlier this year. Despite a recommendation for approval from the board’s independent evaluator, the School Board rejected RRCA’s application -- forcing the school to seek to become a state-approved charter school, like Avoyelles Public Charter, rather than a charter under the local board’s control. ACC was not recommended by the board’s independent evaluator.
    If BESE grants Red River’s  charter, the school will still have to be approved by U.S. District Judge Dee Drell before it can  begin operations. If it becomes a reality, RRCA would be located in the former Garan plant in Marksville.
 
“Huge undertaking”
    “Putting the school together in a shortened time frame from the ground up will be a huge undertaking,” RRCA Executive Director Stephanie Moreau said. “However, the board and leadership of RRCA is up for this challenge. We are confident that with the help of our many supporters we will get this done.”
    RRCA plans to open in the fall of 2016, serving 6th, 7th and 8th graders. It plans to add a grade each year until it is a  6-12 grades school.
    “The mission of Red River Charter Academy is to prepare a diverse group of students for post secondary success through rigorous academics and character development,” Moreau said. “The goal of RRCA is to provide a safe, academically rigorous school-of-choice for students, parents, and teachers in Avoyelles Parish.”
    Moreau said the application process for the charter approval “has been long and very rigorous, and we believe it should be.  We have worked very hard to get this far and we have listened to the needs of our community.   The board and leadership of RRCA is committed to putting in every effort to get RRCA up and running.”
   Moreau said the charter application process “takes a lot of time and money to make it through this process, and we have been fortunate enough to have great supporters for the past 2 years.  As a non-profit, we have all volunteered our time and expertise to get through the application process.”
   She said RRCA board members joined the board “with the understanding that they will never receive payment for their services. Our leadership has sacrificed their time-off and family time to do all of the work thus far.”
   Assuming the school is approved by BESE and the federal court, Moreau said RRCA will be “asking for our community to step up and help us out.  We will need volunteers for recruiting efforts, monetary donations, prayers, and support to make RRCA a reality within the next year.”
   She said people wanting more information on RRCA or to volunteer for its efforts can visit the school website at stephaniemoreau.wix.com/rrca or call 318-253-8128.
   “Red River Charter Academy is proud to be a part of Louisiana’s educational movement in a way that will certainly benefit all of our children,” RRCA Principal Leigh Fryery said.