Charter Schools

Services

The charter schools team serves several roles:

• Selecting and authorizing new charter schools. The charter schools team selects new schools from those that apply to Jefferson Parish based on the needs of the community and the quality of applications.
• Holding charter schools accountable for student success. Charter schools have greater accountability than traditional public schools because they operate on performance-based contracts. The charter schools team sets clear expectations for school performance, provides ongoing feedback to charter schools during the year, and finally assesses charter schools against the criteria for success. Holding schools accountable also means closing schools that are not helping all students achieve.
• Helping families find the best school. The charter schools team helps families learn about charter schools in Jefferson Parish and find the school option that is best for their students.

What is a Charter School?

Open-enrollment charter schools are free public schools that have the flexibility to adapt to the educational needs of individual students. Open-enrollment charter schools vary in mission and model, serving a wide range of students with different needs and interests. Although charter schools have some autonomy, they still must meet the rigorous academic standards dictated by the state for all public schools.

Just like traditional public schools, charter schools receive state funds based on the average daily attendance of students, and operate under and receive accountability ratings from the Louisiana Department of Education. Both charter and traditional public school students take the LEAP test. Charter schools in Jefferson Parish are authorized by the Jefferson Parish School Board to provide additional high-quality options to Jefferson Parish families and students.

Charter school leaders make decisions that are mission-driven and centered on the needs of the students in that school. They include choices concerning mission, curriculum, professional development, report card formats, and hiring. Families can choose charter schools based on their mission, their academic performance, their school culture, or even their location; prospective students are not required to attend the neighborhood district school.

To learn more about charter schools in Louisiana, visit the Louisiana Association of Public Charter Schools.

Helpful Information

• Any child eligible to attend public school in Jefferson Parish is also eligible to attend the district’s charter schools. Charter schools cannot discriminate based on race, gender, or achievement measures.
• If the number of interested students for a charter school exceeds the number of available seats, the school will conduct a lottery to randomly select students to admit.
• If you are interested in applying to any charter school, you should contact the school directly for information about the application and enrollment timeline and process. Most of the charter schools in Jefferson Parish run their application process early in the calendar year.