Four schools in New Orleans recently have been closed or assigned to new operators. Although the processes to make these changes have become somewhat more public, the decision to hand over public schools to a new management organization still is being made primarily behind closed doors.

The transmitter sets the clocks for all the lights in the city and allows them to be programmed remotely. The fix could correct flashers that activate on weekends and holidays, but not when kids are in school. That was one of the problems revealed by a Lens survey in January, which found that nearly half of the lights malfunctioned.

The ReNEW Schools charter-school network in New Orleans had a generous solution for its students without Internet access at their houses — take-home laptops equipped with a wireless broadband connection. However, school leaders pulled the plug on the expensive benefit when the federal program that finances school technology delayed a decision over whether such expenditures should be reimbursed — a decision that could affect schools nationwide.

Throughout the city, school-zone flashers fail to light on weekday mornings and afternoons, and cars drive by without slowing down. The city says the solar panels don’t get enough sunlight to charge on overcast days. In some cases, the solar panels have been installed incorrectly. Elsewhere, the batteries need to be replaced.