BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — The nine schools in the Baton Rouge area managed by the state-run Recovery School District have lost more than 850 students compared with a year ago, according to preliminary enrollment numbers.

The Advocate reports (http://bit.ly/RxQQod) Istrouma High and Crestworth Middle suffered the biggest enrollment declines, 289 and 197 students respectively.

Istrouma High was run during the 2011-12 school year by the East Baton Rouge Parish school system. It was taken over last summer after Louisiana Department of Education officials decided it l was not showing improvement fast enough.

Crestworth Middle was managed last year by a charter school group connected to Mount Pilgrim Baptist Church. The group, after three years in control, handed the school back to the state with unpaid bills and a facility in disrepair.

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Information from: The Advocate, http://theadvocate.com

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