Another charter gets early review as New Orleans looks to close schools
Reported byWWNO
AI-assisted summary
New Orleans district officials are reviewing Fannie C. Williams Charter School, a pre-K-through-eighth-grade school in New Orleans East, ahead of schedule. Its charter runs through 2030, but a new accountability system that began in July lets the superintendent step in early when a school repeatedly gets low state grades. The school has not earned a C since 2017 and has received Ds, apart from an F in 2022. Its enrollment is steady. The district is also reviewing Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Charter Elementary in the Lower 9th Ward, whose officials say they will fight to stay open.
To avoid closure, Fannie's leader proposed joining ReNEW Schools. ReNEW would move students from its Schaumburg campus into Fannie's building, which it considers better, displacing most current Fannie students. ReNEW says those students would have space at Moton Lakefront. Legally, Fannie would merge into Moton. ReNEW's CEO describes it as turning three schools into two. Superintendent Fateama Fulmore supports the plan and says ReNEW has promised to hire some Fannie staff. At a meeting of more than 100 people, parents said the merger would effectively close the school, and some disputed the grades.
The district is under pressure from enrollment losses, with the system down by upwards of 4,600 compared with 2020, and from a new state law requiring a response to underenrollment. Nine other schools are up for regular renewal, and one of their boards voted not to renew its charter. Fulmore will recommend which schools stay open, and the board votes in December.
Why it matters
Families at the affected schools could see buildings, staff and classmates change, while shrinking enrollment pushes the district toward consolidation. The case shows how state grades and new rules can shape which charter schools continue operating.
- School closures
- School consolidation
- Enrollment decline
- School ratings
- Board vote
Written with AI from the publisher's article and may contain errors. The original reporting is the authoritative source.
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- How should a district weigh state letter grades against families' views of a school when deciding whether it should continue operating?
- What steps could help students and staff feel supported if a school merges or relocates to a different building?
- How should the district communicate with families early in a review process that could lead to a closure or merger?
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