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Committee reviews accountability frameworks and policy HG as fill rate rises to 90%
Summary
Staff reported the district’s fill rate rose from 84% in 2021 to 90% in 2025 and briefed the committee on a district-run school performance framework, a charter renewal process using two-year SPS averages, and proposed updates to Policy HG for system optimization.
District staff told the committee on March 24 that a mix of intentional target‑setting and portfolio changes has improved systemwide seat alignment while enrollment declined. Max Day said the fill rate for NOLA‑PS open‑admission schools rose from 84% in 2021 to 90% in 2025, reducing more than 3,100 unfilled seats compared with 2021 targets.
Day and other staff described three connected agenda items: a district‑run (director‑owned) school performance framework for in‑district schools such as Leah Chase School; a Charter School Accountability Framework (CSAF) that finalizes renewal standards tied to the state SPS and an enhanced data review to evaluate D‑rated schools against demographically similar peers; and updates to Policy HG (district optimization) to add clear, objective tools for responding to overcapacity.
The proposed director‑run framework would align indicators to Louisiana’s Grow, Achieve, Thrive system, add regular monitoring and on‑site reviews, and use tiered interventions culminating in a continuous improvement review for persistent underperformance. The CSAF changes include automatic renewal terms based on two‑year SPS averages and an enhanced data review that compares multi‑year indicators (including LEAP proficiency, growth measures, ACT and TOPS eligibility for high schools) with ten demographically similar schools to inform renewal decisions.
On policy HG, staff said the current policy (which expires June 30, 2026) is primarily operator‑initiated and lacks a clear definition of systemwide overcapacity. Proposed additions under discussion include facility reassignment tools, network‑level utilization standards, strategic collocations, utilization review criteria, and transition protocols. Staff repeatedly said the policy cannot authorize closure based solely on overcapacity without legislative change and identified a timeline (notice of intent in April, first reading in May, second reading in June) for the draft policy.
Board members recommended objective, measurable criteria (enrollment thresholds, facility utilization, demographic and special‑populations comparisons, and financial viability) and raised the need to assess community impact. One board member flagged a recently filed bill (House Bill 1003) that could change the district’s legal tools for responding to overcapacity; staff said they would incorporate objective measures and continue stakeholder engagement.
What’s next: Staff will refine indicators, develop reporting dashboards and on‑site review protocols, and bring a policy HG draft through a notice of intent, readings and board adoption process this spring.
