Charter Authorization

The charter school application process provides Louisiana non-profit organizations with the opportunity to create schools that parents and guardians desire for their students. The students of Louisiana are diverse and thus, shall be provided with school choice options that best fit their individual needs.

There are six types of charter schools in Louisiana, outlined below. The oversight for Type 1, 3, and 3B charter schools lies with the local district by which the schools are authorized, while the Louisiana Department of Education (LDOE) is directly responsible for the oversight of Type 2, 4, and 5 charter schools.

Type 1: Charter school is a new school operated as a result of and pursuant to a charter between the nonprofit corporation created to operate the school and a local school board.

Type 2: Charter school is a new school or a preexisting public school converted and operated as the result of and pursuant to a charter between the nonprofit corporation created to operate and BESE.

Type 3: Charter school is a preexisting public school converted and operated as the result of and pursuant to a charter between a nonprofit corporation and the local school board.

Type 3b: Charter school is a former Type 5 charter school transferred from the Recovery School District to the administration and management of the transferring local school system.

Type 4: Charter school is a preexisting public school converted and operated or a new school operated as the result of and pursuant to a charter between a local school board and BESE.

Type 5: Charter school is a preexisting public school transferred to the Recovery School District (RSD) as a school determined to be failing pursuant to state statue and operated as the result of and pursuant to
a charter between a nonprofit corporation and BESE.

2024-2025 NEW CHARTER SCHOOL REQUEST FOR APPLICATIONS

Local district authorizers must use the BESE approved Common Charter Application and may add additional questions. Each local school system must have the Charter RFA application materials and point of contact on their websites. Please see the website for the school system in which you wish to apply for a Type 1 or 3 charter school. To view the BESE approved Common Charter Applications for New Operators, Experienced Operators, and Virtual Operators, see the applications below.

• New Operator Application

• Nonprofit organization whose primary members (founder and/or proposed school leader) do not have prior experience in leading or managing a public school; and

• Who do not intend to employ an educational service provider (ESP) with prior experience in leading or managing public schools.

• See the addendum for virtual operators

• Experienced Operator Application

• Nonprofit organizations whose primary members (founder and/or proposed school leader) have prior experience in leading or managing a single public school; and/or
  
  
• Nonprofit organizations which have operated more than one charter school; and/or
  
  
• Nonprofit organizations which intend to employ an education service provider (ESP) which has operated more than one charter school.

• See the addendum for virtual operators

• Additional Resources:
  • Overview Template
  • Eligibility Determination
  • District Charter Application Process Website Template

KEY DATES FOR LOCAL AUTHORIZING

• September 9, 2024: Deadline by which local school boards must post application materials to their websites. Use of the template is optional.

• October 25, 2024: Charter applications are due to districts.

• January 17, 2025: Deadline for districts to consider charter applications. If a district has not made a decision about a charter application by this point, that applicant group is eligible to appeal to BESE.

• January 31, 2025: Report any charter entered into; the number of schools chartered; the status of those schools, and any recommendations relating to the charter RFA process to charters@la.gov.

*Note: This list includes a limited selection of key dates and deadlines. Please see the local authorizer's websites for a full description of timelines.

Please contact charters@la.gov with questions. 

New School Choice Pandemic Response Funding

Overview
New School Choice Pandemic Response Funds (NSC Funds) will be available to Type 1, 2, 3, 3b, 4, and 5 charter schools in the first three years of operation with the purpose of providing evidenced-based interventions to meet the social, emotional, and academic needs of students. Awards will utilize the Louisiana Department of Education’s ESSER funding allocated to the SEA. The maximum allocation will be up to $350,000 to be distributed in accordance with the timeline below, upon a successful application. The charter school must comply with all funding requirements related to ESSER funds, including any additional ESSER funding through their authorizer, such as the 20% reservation to provide evidenced-based interventions.

Eligibility
Charter schools that have been approved to open by the local authorizer or the Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education are eligible to apply. Schools in the planning year prior to opening of the school are eligible to apply for planning and implementation funding and schools in their first semester of operation are eligible to apply for implementation funding. Applications will open again in fall of 2023.