Broussard Charter School Opening Stalled Until 2016

The opening of the Broussard Charter Academy will be stalled for at least another year.

The National Heritage Academy, which manages charter schools across the nation, announced Friday that the school will not open until 2016. The school, offering spots for nearly 500 kindergarten through fifth graders, was scheduled to open this fall.

“State education officials recently confirmed that the current data available for NHA-partner schools in Louisiana does not qualify Broussard Charter Academy to open under the newly adopted rules,” reads the NHA Board’s statement. “We believe that as new state performance data becomes available Broussard Charter Academy will qualify for a 2016 opening under these rules.”

According to the National Heritage Academy, the Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education’s new charter school regulations require that charter school operators, such as NHA, provide performance data on schools that they have already opened in Louisiana. NHA also manages Lafayette’s Willow Charter Academy and the Advantage Charter Academy in Baker, both of which opened for the 2015-16 school year, as well as the Inspire Charter Academy in Baton Rouge.

“We assure Broussard, its mayor and civic leaders, parents who have expressed interest, and the entire community that there is no change in our vision of operating a second partner school in Lafayette Parish. LACA and NHA remain strongly committed to serving Louisiana students and look forward to launching Broussard Charter Academy and additional partner schools in Louisiana in the years ahead.”