InspireNOLA plans to hire two executive directors as the charter organization pursues the addition to its portfolio of a second elementary school by 2015.
InspireNOLA, which runs Edna Karr High School and Alice M. Harte Elementary Charter School, has applied to run an additional new or conversion elementary school this year, according to Harte head of school Jamar McKneely.
The board expects one of the directors to oversee high school operations and the other to run the elementary schools. InspireNOLA announced last month that they had considered moving more administrative roles in-house.
McKneely said he completed a walk-through of the new Harte campus shortly before the board’s March meeting. He said several dropped ceilings are unfinished and wiring in the computer lab is still under way, leaving him worried they won’t be ready on time. Currently, the school plans to move students in gradually as the work is completed.
The board can anticipate a budget surplus of $500,000 at each school, said Algiers Charter Schools Association chief financial officer Charlie Mackles. Mackles has overseen finances for InpsireNOLA since the organization branched off from ACSA last year. The surplus comes from the Orleans Parish School Board, a result of deferred revenues from local taxes.
The board also approved two contracts to purchase 30 new MacBook laptop computers at a cost of $29,639 and 30 new Dell laptops at a cost of $41,456. Karr head of school John Hiser said the laptops would be for a variety of uses in the classroom.
The next board meeting will be April 28 at 5:30 in the Karr library.