BESE to vote on school’s future

• By JOHN A. COLVIN
• Advocate River parishes bureau
• Published: Apr 25, 2008 - Page: 3B - UPDATED: 12:05 a.m.

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NEW ROADS — The Pointe Coupee School District may not know the future of  Pointe Coupee Central High School until May 15, the School Board learned Thursday night.

The state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education is scheduled to vote then on Advance Baton Rouge’s application to convert the school into a charter school.

Kristy Hebert, executive director of Advance Baton Rouge, addressed the School Board in hopes of answering members’ questions and winning support for their charter.

“We don’t consider this as a takeover, but an extension of our partnership,” Hebert said.

Several board members expressed their doubts about whether the non-profit educational advocates could improve the school.

“I wish you had a proven track record of turning schools around,” said Chad Aguillard, vice president of the board. “I have some concerns.”

Board member Major Thibaut, Jr. questioned whether there was enough time to put the charter school together before the start of school in the fall.

Hebert replied Advance Baton Rouge has a team dedicated to the task and would benefit from the existing working relationship with the parish.

She added that the parish’s charter school would follow the same model used to establish East Baton Rouge Lab Academy.

Board member Thomas Nelson questioned whether the problems at Pointe Coupee Central are the same as those with which Advance Baton Rouge already has dealt.

“Adolescents, whether in New York or Pointe Coupee, have the same concerns,” Hebert told Nelson. “There are common problems at schools across the country … on-time graduation, meeting standards of No Child Left Behind.”

However, Monica Fabre, a parent of students enrolled in the district and a former Pointe Coupee teacher, too, disagreed. She spoke against the organization, saying there are different issues at play.

“Our children face problems like no food, parents on drugs and lack of skills,” Fabre said.