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Board approves one‑year management agreement with Third Futures to operate Prescott campus site
Summary
The East Baton Rouge Parish School Board approved a one‑year management contract with Third Futures to operate a Prescott campus school after IDEA surrendered its charter, retaining district oversight and access to records.
The East Baton Rouge Parish School Board on Jan. 30 approved a one‑year professional services management agreement with Third Futures to operate a school on the Prescott campus after IDEA surrendered its charter.
Superintendent Cole said Third Futures is a turnaround specialist and noted Prescott’s principal had shown progress under the new leadership; he described conversations with multiple charter operators and said Third Futures and Audubon were most interested and prepared to move quickly. The superintendent also said staff will coordinate with Third Futures on funding transitions (including Title funds) and academic supports, and that the district will make resources available to help the operator meet student needs.
Public commenters expressed skepticism about charter operators and urged that services be provided by district-run schools; an online commenter asked for clarity about Third Futures’ legal status, state domicile and governance, and requested that any new entity not use the IDE A name or assume long-term operations beyond July 2026.
Board members discussed oversight and transparency. Counsel and the superintendent explained that the agreement is a professional services contract (a one‑year management arrangement), not a charter contract, and that the district remains the oversight authority. Records generated by the managing partner are public records under the school board; the managing entity as a private vendor would not be required to hold public board meetings, but the board retained rights to request records and financial information under the contract.
Board members asked for quarterly reviews and ongoing access to financial and program information. The superintendent said Third Futures would be asked to hire its own staff; if that was not possible the district would discuss staffing deployments. Board members emphasized coordinating high-dosage tutoring, Title allocation and other academic resources to support students who remain on-site.
One board member noted Third Futures had raised a school’s progress grade from a low F to a high D in a prior engagement and said that demonstrated turnaround capacity. The motion to approve the superintendent’s recommendation carried.
