The board of Lycée Français de la Nouvelle-Orléans will consider a three-year, $165,000 salary contract for CEO Chase McLaurin, with the potential for significant annual increases, at its board meeting Tuesday night, as the school grapples with financial concerns. 

The draft contract includes the potential for two $15,000 increases. One, if the school is accredited by the Association of the French Schools in North America and another if it earns an A-rating in the state’s annual A through F letter grades. The school earned a B from the state last year. 

Both increases can be taken away if the school’s letter grade slips or it loses its accreditation. 

The school is facing increasing financial pressure as enrollment forecasts throughout the city failed to meet projections. The school’s enrollment has fallen over recent years. The school took on a rather substantial loan to renovate the Priestley campus and financial restructuring has been discussed at board meetings throughout the year. 

Earlier this year, McLaurin’s administration proposed cutting bus service to 6th through 12th grade students to save money as part of a larger “fiscal restructuring” plan. The proposal was met with opposition from some students and parents. 

Lycée Français enrolls 993 students across multiple campuses. But that’s a drop in enrollment from years past. 

The CEO of KIPP New Orleans, which enrolls roughly 6,200 students, Rhonda Kalifey-Aluise earned a little over $206,000 in 2022. 

Previous Lycée CEO Marina Schoen earned $136,000 and interim CEO Lycée Français Danielle Dufauchard earned $179,000.

Charter school CEO salaries vary widely across the city as the size of charter networks varies, from small single site charter schools to larger charter networks. 

The board will consider McLaurin’s new contract Tuesday evening.