RSD seeks public input on school building assignments

By Trumpet Blog Staff

The Recovery School District (RSD) is holding public meetings in January, one in each New Orleans City Council district, to seek public input on long-term building assignments for RSD direct-run and charter school programs. All meetings begin at 6PM. The public will have an opportunity to discuss preliminary recommendations and provide input that will inform the final building assignments for new and renovated school buildings listed in the school facilities master plan.

The initial list of school building assignment recommendations were based on such criteria as current school location, whether school programs are currently occupying a temporary facility, school grade configuration, and the preference of school programs. The RSD released its initial draft of school building assignments in August 2010.

The RSD will review public comments and develop a final list of school facility assignments by January 31, 2011. The final facility assignments will be presented as an information item to the state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE) in February.

The objective of the school facilities master plan was to determine the final use of the 128 school campuses in New Orleans. It was developed during an 18-month process that included demographic and enrollment projections through 2016, building assessments of all public school facilities in the city, education design standards and nearly 300 community meetings. Additionally, the plan was informed by a vast amount of public input from school leaders teachers, community members and elected officials. The plan was approved by BESE and the Orleans Parish School Board (OPSB) in November 2008.

The master plan right-sizes the city's public school buildings with the replacement or total renovation of 87 campuses and the "land-banking" of 48 campuses. If a campus is scheduled for land-banking, the campus is expected to be repurposed for another future use. Additionally, if an RSD campus is scheduled for land-banking and it is currently occupied by an existing school program, the RSD will only relocate the school if a campus of equal or better condition becomes available. The RSD will postpone the land-banking of a campus should the student seats be needed and a better campus is unavailable.

Final building assignments for RSD-controlled facilities will be posted in February on www.rebuildingnolaschools.com and www.rsdla.net.

Date	Location	Time	Council District
1/4/2011	Langston Hughes School 3919 Trafalgar St.	6:00 PM	A
1/12/2011	ANDREW WILSON SCHOOL 3617 GENERAL PERSING STREET	6:00 PM	B
1/18/2011	Joseph Craig School 1423 St. Philip Street	6:00 PM	C
1/25/2011	Lake Area School (Greater Gentilly) 6026 Paris Avenue	6:00 PM	D
1/27/2011	H.C. Schaumburg School 9501 Grant St.	6:00 PM	E

You may contact The Trumpet Blog Staff at thetrumpet@npnnola.com or 504-940-2207.