New Orleans’ interim superintendent of schools will recommend a partial renewal for the only school in the Lower 9th Ward.
Fateama Fulmore is recommending the charter’s contract “should be renewed with contingencies for grades K-8 and should not be renewed for grades 9-12,” accountability officer Rafael Simmons said Wednesday in a letter to the school’s staff.
Martin Luther King Jr. Charter School for Sci Tech, a public K-12 school, was the only school up for renewal this year to not be automatically renewed because of its low performance.
The school had an F-letter grade from the state, though it recently got bumped to a D. Its high school program fared worse than its elementary.
“I recognize the hard work that students, parents and teachers have put into this school community and that this news is difficult to receive,” Simmons said in the letter.
In an email to families on Thursday, King leaders wrote that the recommendation “is not reflective of our commitment and dedication to our students and community. Most importantly, we deeply understand the implications this decision may have on our students, programs, and community.”
The city’s school board will vote on the recommendation at a special meeting next Tuesday. If the board accepts it, King’s high school will close at the end of the school year.
Its K-8 program should remain open for at least three years as long as the school meets the renewal requirements set by the district.
