New Orleans Military and Maritime Academy leaders expect good news when the state announces school letter grades in the fall.

In its second year, NOMMA should receive a B from the Louisiana Department of Education, principal Cecilia Garcia told the school’s board members at a June 6 meeting.

Garcia said that she arrived at the B grade based on her best estimates after the state released student scores on end-of-course and LEAP exams. The school performance score, which determines what letter grade a school gets, is based on state test scores, attendance, and graduation rates.

Eighty-two percent of NOMMA students scored in the good or excellent range in their end of course tests, Garcia said. Seventy-three percent of them scored in the good to excellent range on the algebra test, which was up from 54 percent last year.

Garcia said that the administration had aimed for an A grade, but some students fell just a few questions short of the necessary state test scores.

Commandant Bill Davis reported that the school’s new campus remains on track to complete construction in December.

He said he hopes to move classes to the permanent facility currently being built at the Federal City site after the winter holiday break. He said that this timeline could change during hurricane season should a major hurricane develops in the Gulf of Mexico.

During a review of the school’s budget for the current fiscal year, Garcia said she has examined sick day accrual policies for teachers at other local schools.

Currently, NOMMA teachers accrue unlimited sick days but are not paid for them if they leave the school, meaning the school does not need to set aside funds for the number of hours saved by all teachers according to their CFO Ben Hicks. Garcia said that as the school enters its third year, it would be appropriate to institute a sick day cap