BESE makes 'no decision' on Red River Charter

Red River Charter Academy went further this year than it has in its previous efforts to gain approval to operate a charter school in Avoyelles Parish -- and its officials promise to continue the fight to open the middle school charter.
Tuesday the Board of Elementary & Secondary Education tied, 5-5, on whether to approve RRCA's application. The day before, a BESE committee went against State Education Superintendent John White's recommendation to deny the application and recommended approval.
“The official result was ‘no action,’” RRCA Executive Director Stephanie Moreau said. “We were not denied, but we were not approved.”
The deciding vote between “approved” and “denied” would have been Dr. Gary Jones, the former Rapides Parish superintendent. Jones recused himself because he does consultant work for the Avoyelles Parish School District.
“We are turning our application over the Avoyelles School Board once again,” Moreau said. “State Education Superintendent John White said he wants us to resolve this issue at the local level if at all possible, and that is what we will try to do. We are not stopping. We have been getting closer with each step we take. We had five votes this time, which is the most we have ever had.”
{For more on this issue, read the Avoyelles Journal this Sunday.}