Red River Charter Academy proposal denied, again

The state's Board of Elementary and Secondary Education has denied an application to open a charter in Avoyelles Parish, as recommended by the Louisiana Department of Education, the Advocate reports.

Officials behind Red River Charter Academy went before BESE Tuesday after the parish school board rejected their application for a third time last week. Board members had hoped to operate Red River Charter Academy on a local level, but were willing to become a state-sanctioned school.

State Superintendent John White told reporters last week that his administration would endorse four charter applications going before BESE this week, but Red River Charter Academy was not one of them. White had recommended the group behind RRCA negotiate a deal with the Avoyelles Parish School Board, but those negotiations did not prove to be successful.

Speaking to The Town Talk last week, RRCA Board President Pat Ours did not comment on what the next step would be if BESE denied the group's application.

The Advocate also reports former Rapides Parish Superintendent Gary Jones was elected BESE president at Tuesday's meeting.

Read more: State to consider proposed Avoyelles charter