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East Baton Rouge school board denies three charter expansion requests, citing Bulletin 126 requirements
Summary
The East Baton Rouge Parish School Board voted Jan. 16 to deny three charter applications — Collegiate Academies and two Geo North Baton Rouge applications — following a third-party evaluation that cited Bulletin 126 requirements and concerns about applicants’ requests to qualify as type 2 charters without prior denial.
The East Baton Rouge Parish School Board voted on Jan. 16 to deny three charter applications after a third-party evaluation and board discussion.
Katie Blanche, the board's third-party charter evaluator, told the board she had reviewed each application using the LDOE rubric and recommended denial of the applications from Collegiate Academies and two Geo North Baton Rouge applications. Blanche said Bulletin 126 requires applicants to apply as a type 1 or type 3 charter to the local board and be denied before seeking a type 2 charter through BESE, and that the applicants had asked to be considered as type 2 charters during interviews.
Why it matters: The decisions affect planned openings in 2026 and shape how charter growth is handled in East Baton Rouge Parish. Board members debated whether applicants should focus on improving existing campuses before expanding and discussed the district's limited role in BESE's charter-review process.
What the board decided: The board voted to deny Collegiate Academies’ application after a motion to deny was made and seconded; the motion carried. The board then denied the Geo North Baton Rouge Elementary and Geo North Baton Rouge Upper applications following similar motions. Board members questioned Collegiate Academies' request for expansion given mixed performance at its existing Baton Rouge campus; members praised Geo Academies’ existing results but noted the applicant had requested type 2 status.
Details from the evaluation: Blanche said Collegiate Academies operates several schools and that Collegiate Baton Rouge had a school performance score in the D range in 2023 and 2024; she wrote that Collegiate Academies stated it prepares college-bound scholars but did not demonstrate adequate evidence in areas required by the rubric. For the Geo applications, Blanche presented performance data for Geo schools showing progress ratings and some B and C letter grades at different campuses; nevertheless, the request to change charter type without being denied first led to her recommendation of denial under Bulletin 126.
Board reaction: Board members voiced two recurring themes: that underperforming operators should focus on improving existing schools before expanding, and that strong-performing charters could be partners but may choose not to be part of the district’s type 1 charter framework. One board member said the local board should send a letter to BESE explaining why an applicant should address performance issues at existing schools before expansion; other members said reasons for denial may vary by member and preferred not to conflate all motivations into one statement.
Outcome and next steps: The motions to deny carried on each application. The board did not approve any of the three charter applications; applicants may pursue other statutory paths consistent with Bulletin 126 and BESE rules.
Closing note: The denials were recorded after public comment and board deliberation; the board asked staff to follow required procedures for filing the board’s official actions.
