The recently appointed interim CEO of Algiers Charter School Association is making $175,000 in her new position, the same as her predecessor made last year, a network spokeswoman confirmed Wednesday.
Rene Lewis-Carter, longtime principal of one of the network’s six schools was promoted to the leadership role last week. The board officially voted her in at a Jan. 22 meeting. That was 10 days after they first announced her appointment, without explanation as to how she was chosen or what had happened to the previous CEO.
Generally, boards hire and fire their highest-ranking employee by a public vote. The Jan. 22 meeting appears to have been called to do just that — they hired Lewis-Carter by vote and fired the now-former CEO without much discussion.
As the principal of Behrman Elementary in 2014-15 Lewis-Carter was set to earn $116,544. The network did not respond to a request inquiring how much she was to earn this year before the promotion. Behrman dropped 17 points on the state’s 150-point scale, a B to a C, when the latest state report cards were released in December.
Former CEO Adrian Morgan was slated to earn $175,000 for the 2014-15 school year, according to data provided to the state that year. The year prior, he earned $160,000, according to his last written contract, which applied to the 2013-14 school year.
The network did not respond to a request inquiring what Morgan’s salary was when he left.
Lewis-Carter’s salary is just shy of the Orleans Parish School Board’s Superintendent Henderson Lewis’ $180,000 salary. Lewis also receives $12,000 per year for travel in his personal vehicle.
The Algiers Charter School Association oversees six schools, with about 4,200 students, making it one of the largest charter networks in the city. Its overall budget is $45 million.
Algiers Board President John Edwards said last week that information about a CEO search would be forthcoming.
The board is meeting this evening. They will discuss Algiers Technology Academy’s potential budget shortfall — the school is 92 students shy of its enrollment target of 325.
They will also meet behind closed doors to discuss strategy to address a written demand from Morgan — generally a signal of a forthcoming lawsuit — and written demand from another unnamed employee.
The Lens is requesting both demand letters through state public records law. ACSA spokeswoman Tammi Griffin-Major said the network’s legal team is evaluating the request.
