New academy on schedule
LAFAYETTE — Plans are on schedule to open a new charter school in Opelousas on Aug. 2, said Tiffanie Lewis, the school’s executive director.
J.S. Clark Leadership Academy will be housed at 1592 E. Prudhomme St., the former site of Acadiana Prep and the Belmont Academy. Initially, it will enroll students in grades 5-7, but will expand through grade 12.
School officials will hold an informational session for interested parents at 6 p.m. March 2 at South City Park Teen Center, 1524 S. Market St., in Opelousas. Enrollment is open to any St. Landry Parish student, however, enrollment will be capped at 180 students. If interest exceeds the available spots, a lottery will be held to select students in April, Lewis said.
The school is one of 13 new charter schools in Louisiana expected to open in the 2012-13 school year, according to the Louisiana Department of Education. There are 98 charter schools serving about 44,000 students, according to the department.
The charters are publicly funded and have independent school boards or operators. In December, the nonprofit group Outreach Community Development Corp. received approval from the Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education to open the academy as a Type 2 charter school after the St. Landry Parish School Board denied its pitch. As a Type 2, the school is eligible for state funding and a share of sales and property tax revenue. The group also proposed a charter school for Lafayette Parish, which was rejected by both the local and state education boards.
The academy will start its year Aug. 2, earlier than most school districts, and students’ days won’t end until 5:30 p.m., “primarily because the students in this particular parish are considerably behind,” Lewis said.
The St. Landry Parish School System’s district performance score is a 89.0, earning it a letter grade of “D” under the state’s new accountability system.
Lewis said the extended day provides students time to complete homework or receive additional instruction or tutoring, but it’s also a necessity for the student population.
“It’s indicative of the environment we’re in. Parents work and our children don’t have a place to go after school. We don’t have a Boys and Girls Club here. We don’t have a YMCA,” Lewis said.
The school focuses on technology and project-based learning. Students won’t have traditional textbooks, but rather will learn using ebooks — electronic textbooks.
Lewis said the school is still recruiting certified teachers interested in being part of the school’s mission.
“We’re looking for teachers who have an open mind and are not bound by the limits that have been set by traditional schools,” she said. “This is an out of box, innovative school.”
For more information, about J.S. Clark Leadership Academy, visit: http://jsclarkcharter.org.