Lerone Crayton, whose aim is to improve attendance in a district where a third of students are chronically absent, says that he is a “living example” of the importance of attending school every day. (Photo by Gus Bennett / The Lens)
Crescent City Schools' Constellations program fills crucial service gaps in New Orleans’ decentralized school system by offering specialized education for students with cognitive disabilities.
Constructed from corrugated steel shipping containers and fitted with solar panels, the sustainable 2,000-square-foot schoolhouse holds digital art classrooms, a gallery, a combination library and meditation room, and an outdoor fruit tree orchard.
Nonprofits like YEP, 18th Ward, and Café Reconcile go beyond childcare, keeping New Orleans kids active, connected, and reaching goals.
The initiative brings New Orleans’ Civil Rights and education history to life during the third week of November with field trips, reenactments and social events.
More than 90% of Orleans public schools automatically offer free breakfast and lunch to all students due to high SNAP enrollment rates. With Louisiana SNAP cutting 1 in 5 recipients, school cafeterias could also be serving fewer free meals.
New Orleans serves about 84% of 4-year-olds from low-income families. That leaves many New Orleans children entering kindergarten without necessary skills, and hundreds of parents who are not able to work as much as they want to, or at all, creating economic hardship.
A police search of the 14-year-old’s phone uncovered no proof of a threat, sparking outrage from local activists over the school’s response.
