New Orleans’ head of public schools will step down at the beginning of next month, the district said Thursday and did not give a reason for her abrupt departure.
The school system is in a financial crisis because of an accounting error. It has also faced increased scrutiny since opening a direct-run school for the first time in two decades.
Avis Williams has been superintendent of the city’s nearly all-charter school system for just over two years. According to her contract, which expires in 2026, the superintendent and board can mutually agree to end things early.
She replaced Henderson Lewis Jr., who retired in 2022 and is the first woman to lead the district permanently. The board conducted a nationwide search and picked her over several local candidates. Most recently, she was in charge of schools in Selma, Ala., a district with far fewer students and no charter schools.
Under Williams’ leadership, the percentage of students in New Orleans who passed state exams ranked second-highest for growth compared to all other districts, according to the Louisiana Department of Education.
In a statement, school board president Katie Baudouin said Williams brought new “energy and enthusiasm” to the district, adding that recent gains reflect “her unwavering commitment to excellence.”
District officials said last month that they accidentally inflated revenue projections shared with charter leaders to budget for this school year.
Officials say they still don't know how much money schools will lose and are working with the city to determine the actual property and sales tax revenue available.
Board members said that schools could face a shortfall of roughly $36 million, nearly twice an earlier estimate. They're considering a plan to cut the gap in half by pulling $5 million from the district's reserves and offering schools up to $15 million in loans. Members are expected to vote on the proposal later today.
At least one school has laid off staff, citing the unexpected shortage. Teachers at the school called the move "rash." District officials have argued the blame is misplaced, saying the school was already in debt.
Charter leaders have criticized the district for its accounting and for failing to tell them about the mistake quickly.
Caroline Roemer, president of the Louisiana Association of Public Charter Schools, said Williams already had a strained relationship with New Orleans school leaders.
"What I consistently heard from educators was that they did not feel like she was working with them," she said. "That she did not respect them as leaders of schools."
