Board Meeting Comments

I urge the Board to reject an unconditional renewal of Great Hearts Harveston’s charter. If renewed, it must include enforceable conditions. The district’s recent evaluation marked “NO” on disability-related nondiscrimination and required student supports, while acknowledging Notices of Concern. My child attended Great Hearts and was placed in an illegal prone restraint involving an employee’s knee in his back. I was not notified until two days later. The experience affected his safety, dignity, and self-esteem. I filed a formal complaint with LDOE and the school was found non-compliant. This was 18 months ago, and the district's evaluation is still acknowledging Notices of Concern in October 2026. Charter autonomy comes with accountability. Public funding comes with responsibility. That responsibility extends to every student, especially those who need additional support. Renewal must mean demonstrated improvement, not overlooking unresolved concerns.

This renewal definitely doesn't belong on the consent agenda in two weeks, and it should really be deferred until at least January after the new board has been sworn into office. But this charter shouldn't renewed at all. It serves a more privileged population than the district's average and still under-performs the rest of the district. The money wasted on an inferior choice could be better spent improving the capabilities of publicly-operated neighborhood schools.

This renewal definitely doesn't belong on the consent agenda in two weeks, and it should really be deferred until at least January after the new board has been sworn into office. Four years also seems like too long a renewal for a charter that has never lived up to its hype. Furthermore, the fact that a handful of students can't be attributed to a home neighborhood school suggests that Type 1 charter schools are happy to admit students and get the corresponding funding from the taxpayers of the East Baton Rouge district, even if the students don't live in the district.

What happens if the Northdale program, now at Belfair after a couple decades in Red Oak, moves to another site? Does this gymnasium retain the same name into perpetuity? Why not rename the school (effective in the fall of 2027) as Helire Alternative School? And then the honor to his family name can follow the program wherever it happens to be housed.