Earlier this week, the members of the IDEA Public Schools Louisiana Board voted to relinquish their charter and close their schools. When schools are unable to deliver on the promise of better educational outcomes for Baton Rouge students, we must act with urgency to ensure that students and families are better served. We applaud the diligence of the local IDEA Public Schools Louisiana Board and IDEA Public Schools in recognizing the importance of delivering on a standard of excellence these students deserve.
In January of 2023, the Baton Rouge Alliance for Students advocated for the renewal of charters for several East Baton Rouge Parish Schools, IDEA among them, on the grounds that the school board lacked meaningful school performance data due to the disruptions of the COVID pandemic. This was in keeping with the precedent set by the Louisiana Department of Education and state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education in 2022. Since that time, outcomes have failed to improve significantly for the students being served in IDEA Bridge and IDEA Innovation despite several attempts at reorganization. The vote to relinquish the charter will make way for a transition plan to better serve the needs of the impacted students and their families. We look forward to supporting as these plans unfold.