At the end of the 2012-2013 school year, ARISE Academy will temporarily move from its current location to allow for year-long renovations, according to an announcement from the board at its monthly board meeting in June.
The school will be the sole occupant in its current space, currently shared with Drew Elementary, for the 2012-2013 school year, and ARISE will then move to the three-story, 23,000-square-foot St. Rose de Lima School in New Orleans during renovations.
School administrators are confident the move will not affect pupil retention. They have began making transportation plans for students.
At the meeting, Principal Andrew Shahan also discussed recent standardized test scores, iLEAP and LEAP, which he described as encouraging news for the future as the school plans to add a fifth grade this coming school year.
In English, 69 percent of ARISE 3rd graders scored at a “basic” or passing grade level, up from 49 percent last year. In math, students fared much better, as 77 percent scored at the “basic” level, up from 53 percent last year.
While Shahan said that the school’s inaugural 4th grade LEAP scores were “somewhat disappointing.” He said that the school did better than it had originally hoped at the beginning of the school year.
In English, 74 percent of 4th graders scored at the “basic” level or better, and 57 percent scored at least “basic” in Math.
The board also approved Larry Eustis as its newest member, and it plans to hold its 2012-2013 budget hearing in August.
The next board meeting is scheduled for July 18 at 6 p.m.