Recently announced closures will leave three district-owned buildings empty this summer. Officials are seeking other schools — currently located in deteriorating buildings — to move in.
School leaders say classroom attendance is rebounding after a dip during the omicron surge.
IDEA Oscar Dunn is the second school this week that officials have said will close due to enrollment problems. The school opened in 2019 and has operated through three pandemic school years.
FirstLine’s Live Oak elementary school will close at the end of the school year. FirstLine took over the school in 2018 but officials say it has struggled with under enrollment.
Population growth in New Orleans has not kept up with the expansion of charter schools over the past decade. District officials are considering consolidations and possible closures to address the problem.
Decreasing enrollment, facility upkeep and financial effects of COVID-19 are all factors.
