Red River Charter narrows site choice, still plans to open for 2019-20 school year

All indications are that RRCA will (a) most likely open as an independent Type II charter school (b) in portable buildings on (c) property yet to be determined.

The closed Mansura High/Middle School complex is apparently not a possible location, even though Mansura town officials are encouraging that option and RRCA officials have said it offers a lot of advantages.

School officials have been told that property is no longer for sale, RRCA’s immediate past president Jessica Couvillion said.

It also seems unlikely the fledgling charter school will be asked to join the Avoyelles School District as a Type I charter. Plans are to move forward as a state-approved independent public charter school.

In short, the mountain (APSB) will have to come to Mohammed (RRCA). Red River has asked to become a part of the parish school district six times in the past five years, being rejected every time.

Even with a new APSD board that is more sympathetic to its mission, Couvillion said the board would have to make the offer to join educational forces.

If that happens, the RRCA Board would look at the advantages and disadvantages of Type I and Type II schools and make a decision.

Couvillion said the RRCA Board’s main objective is to find a suitable location and get classes set up so the school can open in August.

Due to time issues, those classes will probably have to be portables, she added.

RRCA has a “short list” of locations, but not a “sure list,” a RRCA Board member said.

If everything goes as planned, RRCA will open as a grade 6-8 middle school in August. It will add a high school grade each year until it is a grade 6-12 high school.

It would have a first-year enrollment of 162.

APSD officials have said the loss of over $1 million in state Minimum Foundation Program funds the first year -- and more as more grades are added in future years -- could force the school district to close one of its nine traditional schools.

LaSAS is a state approved charter school under control of the Avoyelles School Board. It still receives direct funding from the state MFP allocation.

Avoyelles Public Charter School is an independent K-12 public school receiving direct funding through the state MFP.

NEW RRCA PRESIDENT

In another RRCA-related development, Brad Augustine, owner of Brudd Construction in Simmesport, will be the first president of an up-and-running Red River Charter Academy.

The board of the recently approved charter school selected Augustine to succeed Jessica Couivillion as president at its Jan. 10 meeting.

“I am looking forward to putting this school in place to be successful,” Augustine said. “We want to ensure the school’s leaders and teachers have all they tools they need and the full support of the board.”

Augustine said the plan is still to open for the 2019-20 school year, “but I have to tell you, it’s a tall order. There is a lot to be done.”

The charter school’s board will “probably be issuing a statement about a location within the next two or three weeks,” he said.

Public support for the school “has been overwhelming since it became a reality” with the Board of Elementary & Secondary Education’s approval in December, Augustine said.

Augustine, of Hickory Hill, has been involved in the efforts to establish the charter school for almost eight years.

He has two sons, an 8th grader and a 4th grader. The approval of the school came too late for his oldest to apply, but it should be open in time for his youngest to apply in 6th grade.

The battle to establish Red River Charter “has been inspirational and overwhelming at the same time,” Augustine said.

“It feels good to be around like-minded people who remained true to their mission and never gave up,” he continued. “I see this as an example to the younger generation that when they stay the course and put in the hard work, good things happen.”