Red River Charter Academy opens new chapter in public school history

The buses were on time, the classrooms were ready and the teachers and students were excited to begin a new chapter in Avoyelles Parish public education this past Tuesday.

It was the first day of school for Red River Charter Academy.

“Things are going great,” RRCA Executive Director Stephanie Moreau said during a break in the busy day. “Everything has gone smoothly and we are looking forward to an excellent school year.”

In December, the state Board of Elementary & Secondary Education approved Red River to open as a public charter school for grades 6-8. It will add 9th grade next year and another high school grade each year until it is a grade 6-12 high school.

The school has an enrollment of 196 students with two sections of 6th grade, three of 7th and two of 8th.

The school attracted most of its students from the public school system. About 20-25 percent came from parochial schools and a few are from neighboring parishes.

Moreau said the school will have a more detailed breakdown on its student body in the near future.

THIRD CHARTER SCHOOL

The parish’s third public charter school -- the other two are the independent Avoyelles Public Charter and the quasi-independent LaSAS -- is leasing the former Mansura High School campus from the Avoyelles School Board. It has an option to buy the property.

Public school officials and parochial school officials have expressed concern that the new option for middle school -- and later, high school -- students will adversely affect their schools.

APSD Superintendent Blaine Dauzat said the loss of over 140-150 middle school students could force the School Board to close a school. That impact will only get greater over the next four years.

Diocesan Catholic School Superintendent Thomas Roque did not strike so ominous a chord, but did say the parochial schools will be carefully watching to see how the new charter school effects their enrollment and programs.