Charter School Board

FirstLine Schools, Inc.

Despite lack of quorum, board meets in executive session

Though FirstLine Schools’ Board of Directors didn’t have a quorum Wednesday, they voted to go into executive session. The members asked everyone to leave while they met privately for a half-hour, saying only that they were going to talk about “personnel issues.”

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Board adopts guiding principles, discusses fundraising and outreach

At their November meeting, FirstLine board members adopted a list of five guiding principles for governance, unanimously elected two new board members and viewed a lengthy development committee presentation focused on raising money to replace fading start-up and turn-around money for FirstLine schools. “New Orleans has a rare opportunity to set up a structure that will facilitate the long-term success of schools after this generation of leaders is gone,” said CEO Jay Altman, speaking about the governance guidelines.

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Money, control and perception are keys as charters consider switch to Orleans Parish School Board

From left, Martin Behrman, Arthur Ashe and KIPP Believe are three campuses that are likely to be eligible to return to the oversight of the Orleans Parish School Board, above. Photo by Jessica Williams

Several more independent charter school leaders soon will find themselves facing a question that several others, including Sophie B. Wright Charter School’s principal, have been grappling with for more than a year: Should we move back under the wing of the Orleans Parish School Board?

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Board approves revised budget, unanimously re-elects leadership

The FirstLine Schools board of directors voted unanimously to approve a revised final budget for the 2012-2013 school year at their monthly meeting, September 26. The final budget for the upcoming year still comes in around the projected $26 million, according to finance committee chair Stephen Rosenthal.

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Test scores are strong; Clark has seats to fill; $70G in new grants awarded

Initial results from standardized state tests look good, FirstLine Schools chief executive officer Jay Altman told the board at their May monthly meeting.  Altman said he expects John Dibert Community School to post some of the city’s biggest gains. He said he was pleased that  Langston Hughes Academy maintained the status quo.

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Finances in surplus despite enrollment uncertainties at some schools

Budget projections have held up and each of the five schools in the expanding FirstLine  network are operating with a surplus of roughly $30,000, finance committee chairman Stephen Rosenthal told fellow board members at their monthly meeting, April 24. The strong balances have been realized despite unpredictable drops in attendance and related revenue, especially at Joseph S. Clark Prep. The back ink shows that the corporation as a whole can support itself within the current model, Rosenthal noted.

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School looks to profit from Fest parking; smooth start to revamped application process

Five members of the Langston Hughes Academy board gathered on April 24 but in the absence of several members, including finance committee member Paul Pechon, did not formally convene a monthly meeting. The school’s chief financial officer, Adrian Morgan, delivered a brief management report highlighting positive early returns from the first phase of the centralized application process – OneApp – newly inaugurated by the Recovery School District.

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Students eligible for private-school voucher

The state Department of Education today released the list of New Orleans schools eligible to participate in its voucher program. The program, called the Scholarships for Educational Excellence Program, has for the past three years offered low-income students from low-performing public schools the chance to attend the private school of their choice, with the state paying the bill for tuition and fees.

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Band, dancers and majorettes shine during Carnival; playground and garden draw vols

Langston Hughes Academy’s Marching Eagles band, dancers and majorette unit participated in six Carnival parades this season, including two on the West Bank and one in Metairie.  “How the parents made it all the way across town, on-time, every time is beyond me,” chief operating officer Adrian Morgan said in a report to the school’s board of directors at NOLA 180’s monthly meeting, Feb.

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School embezzler senteneced to five years in federal pen

The former business manager of a New Orleans charter school was sentenced today to five years in jail for embezzling $660,000 from the school, according to U.S. Attorney Jim Letten’s office. In February, former business manager Kelly Thompson pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to making more than 150 cash withdrawals from Langston Hughes Academy over the 15 months she was employed by the independently run public school.

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