State schools Superintendent John White has taken the unusual step of offering the state’s help to the troubled charter school Lycée Français de la Nouvelle-Orleans, as it goes about searching for a new leader, according to a letter he sent to the school. White said he’s helped secure private money to pay for a consulting company, which has already been chosen, to guide the search process.

A teacher who was fired from Lycée Français de la Nouvelle Orléans Charter is suing the school and two of its leaders, saying they damaged her reputation after they had an officer escort her from campus last month. Darleen Mipro, 39, was charged with criminal trespassing and disturbing the peace on Nov.

Parents at the troubled Lycée Français de la Nouvelle Orléans charter school on Monday met the woman temporarily charged with leading the school out of a rocky period. Gisele Schexnider introduced herself as the new academic director to parents during their regular parent teacher organization’s meeting Monday night and said she would be serving as the school’s interim CEO.

The board of directors of Lycée Français de la Nouvelle Orléans voted Monday to cut more than $200,000 from the charter school’s 2012-13 budget, after members learned the school was operating at a deficit of $85,000. The board went into a closed session to discuss how it would move forward in light of news that school leader Jean-Jacques Grandiere is ill and won’t return until Nov.

Lycée Français de la Nouvelle Orléans board of directors struggled to comply with state open records and meetings laws at its meeting Monday night, as it reduced the school’s operating budget from $3.1 million to $2.8 million. Over 100 parents and teachers were in attendance at the school’s cafeteria.

At the October 8 board meeting administrators from Lycee Francais de la Nouvelle Orleans considered partnering with the city’s French Alliance to offer French language courses to Lycee parents. “More than 150 parents (responded that they) want the classes,” Jean-Jacques Grandiere, Lycee’s General Director, told the school’s board of directors at their Oct.

Review the agenda here.

The Lycee Francais de la Nouvelle Orleans board of directors held a retreat focused on board governance Thursday. Marci Cornell-Feist, founder and CEO of The High Bar education management company, led the session.

View the notice for the October 4 retreat here.

Concerns about the school’s new cafeteria and lunch service brought nearly a dozen parents to the board of directors’ monthly meeting, Sept. 10.

Back in June, as the Lycee Francais Charter School board prepared to take a vote on the school’s 2012-13 school budget, a reporter from The Lens told board members that they had not given proper public notice that the vote was pending, a violation of state law. The board members promptly took action, and today Lycee Francais is one of the few charter schools in New Orleans in full compliance with state law regarding its budget vote.

According to Jean-Jacques Grandiere, General Director of Lycee Francais de la Nouvelle Charter School, everything is in order for the August 13 start-date of the 2012-13 school year. That includes, for the first time, a school-provided lunch.

Review the LFNO agenda here.

Editor’s note: Story updated July 13 to reflect that the final vote had taken place. The Lycée Français Board unanimoulsy passed its $3.1 million budget Tuesday, July 10.

After The Lens reported that the Lycée Français Charter school voted in June on its 2012-2013 budget without making adequate public announcements prior to its budget hearing, the school has re-scheduled its budget vote. A  hearing will be held tonight, July 9, at 6:30 p.m.

You can view the expected budget here. Note that the attached document does not include a year-over-year comparison.

Review the LFNO regular meeting agenda here.

After much controversy, embattled Lycée Francais board member, Allen Kelly, has resigned from his post. The board of Lycée Francais accepted Kelly’s resignation at a specially called June 1 board meeting.

The Uptown Messenger has coverage of tonight’s special LFNO board meeting here, in which Jean Jacques Grandiere was confirmed as General Director of Lycee Francais and board member Allen Kelly resigned.

At their monthly meeting, May 14, directors of Lycee Francais cast an eye toward the year ahead and the pending move to a new campus on State Street. Newly installed board chairman Dr. Jean Montes began with a brief introduction and spoke of the school’s mission before yielding to the board’s treasurer and the school’s interim general director for their most recent briefings.

Review the schedule for tonight’s meeting here.

By Amy Holiday, The Lens charter school reporter |

Lycée Francais is adding a second grade, a move approved by the state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education and ratified at a special meeting of the school’s board, April 24. Thirty students were accepted conditionally by lottery from a large pool of applicants on April 18, an admissions process that can now roll forward to completion.

Review it here.

Jill Otis, chief executive officer of Lycée Francais de la Nouvelle Orleans, will step down at the end of the school year. Her resignation as school leader was approved unanimously by the board of directors as they emerged from an executive session on April 2.

Correction: A sentence was removed from an earlier version of this article because it gave a misleading impression of the reason the board went into executive session. The board of Lycée Francais held a special meeting March 26 to review the performance of Jill Otis, the school’s chief executive officer.

View the announced agenda for Monday’s special LFNO meeting scheduled for 6:30pm at 5401 S. Claiborne Ave, here.

In an occasionally tense monthly meeting on March 12, Lycée Francais board members debated whether they or the school’s administration has the authority to approve adding a new class to the school. Earlier this month, the state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education approved continued  exploration of adding a second grade.

Next school year, the boards of Akili Academy and Harriet Tubman Charter School will combine. Lagniappe Academy is cutting back on its enrollment, and Lycée Francais de la Nouvelle Orleans is set to expand.

Review the LFNO agenda for the board meeting on 3/12/12 here.

The board of Lycée Français de la Nouvelle-Orléans has approved Hema Banangada as its interim treasurer. Banangada replaces outgoing board treasurer Mignhon Tourné, who was absent.

Review Monday evening’s meeting agenda here.

The school’s  first set of French classes for parents and staff members have attracted a dozen participants, board members learned at their monthly meeting, Jan. 9.

View next week’s January board meeting agenda here.

The board of Lycée Français de la Nouvelle-Orléans has found a new home, at 631 State Street, and arranged a long-term lease with St. Francis of Assisi Church.

The Lycee Francais board’s December meeting agenda may be viewed here.

Lycée Français de la Nouvelle-Orléans releases statement about moving classes to St. Francis of Assisi Church next year.

Arriving for school on Nov. 7, students and parents of Lycée Français de la Nouvelle Orleans were greeted with a brand new, shiny playground built by KaBoom, a national organization, with help from volunteers.

Review the agenda for the board’s November meeting, scheduled for 6:30 PM at 5401 S. Claiborne Avenue, reprinted below:

Agenda for November 14, 2011

I Call to Order

II Attendance

III Approval of Past Minutes

IV Chairman’s Report

V Treasurer’s Report

VI Principal’s Report

VII Old Business

VIII New Business

IX Public Comments

X Adjournment

Faced with a new $1,500-a-month expense or the prospect of fewer students enrolling, the board that oversees Lycee Francais charter school opted to hire a marketing company to raise awareness of the new school. Black Olive Marketing will now handle the campaign for the board of Lycee Francais de la Nouvelle Orleans. Black Olive had been doing the work for Lycée Français School pro bono.

Click the following link to review the board meeting agenda:

LFNO Oct meeting agenda

Explanation for the cancellation of last week’s special board meeting here.  

Note: this report has been corrected to state that the pumpkin patch is part of a charity drive by First Presbyterian Church, and is not affiliated with Lycée Français. The Lycée Français School Board met on Oct.

See the agenda for the October 10 Board meeting here.

The Lycée Français School Board met on Sept. 12 at 6 p.m.

Tonight, the Lycee Francais school board will meet and discuss reports as well as new and old business. Review the agenda LFNO.BOD Agenda 9-12-11