Charter to open in fall 2010

• By MARILYN GOFF
• Special to The Advocate
• Published: Jun 13, 2009 - Page: 4B

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GREENSBURG — The Charter School of Pine Grove will open in the fall of 2010 under SABIS International’s management, the chairman of the charter group said Thursday.

Chairman Joseph Lombardo told the St. Helena Parish School Board Thursday that neither a chief administrative officer nor staff for the charter school had been hired yet. He said he and Superintendent Daisy Slan met to start  the process

He presented the board a packet of information on the charter school, which will be housed in a new facility in the Pine Grove community located on La. 449 near La. 16.

Before the board meeting, Lombardo said the charter school will initially enroll 430 students in kindergarten through sixth-grade classes.

On Feb. 19, the Louisiana 1st Circuit Court of Appeal upheld a lower court ruling that the board breached a valid agreement with the Charter School of Pine Grove Inc. and must now follow through on the contract initiated five years ago.

Approved by the board in April 2004 but rescinded in February 2005, the five-year agreement sets up a Type I charter school that was to have opened its doors in the 2004-05 school year.

Resulting litigation delayed the start of the school. In November 2006, state District Judge Elizabeth Wolfe ordered the contract was breached and should start for the 2007-08 term.

After the board appealed, the higher court ordered that the agreement start in the first school year after a final judgment.

The School Board did not appeal to the Louisiana Supreme Court. Attempts to start the charter school began in 1997.

In her monthly report to the board, Slan said she is closing schools for the end of the academic year. Slan said emergency electrical repairs are being made and a new fire alarm system is being installed at St. Helena Central High School.

The superintendent also reported a new career modular laboratory for Science, Technology, English and Math is being set up at St. Helena Parish Central middle and high schools.