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Top CityBusiness stories from 2006: 8. Schools, colleges face

New Orleans CityBusiness, Dec 25, 2006 by Stephen Maloney

In 2006, educational institutions across southern Louisiana struggled to regain footing lost after hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

Education now involves the daily chore to restore, rebuild and re- create places of learning.

The Louisiana Department of Education established the Recovery School District to run 17 schools formerly under the control of New Orleans Public Schools.

"We are all learning," said Robouin High School Principal Kevin George. "We are all becoming acclimated with the way the state has organized the school system. All of us are accustomed to working in a regular system with a school board and administrators in charge of every individual thing, so the Recovery School District has taken some time to get used to."

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With a $286-million annual budget and 491 teachers on the payroll, RSD Superintendent Robin Jarvis' hands have been full handling glitches in the newborn system.

Libraries sat empty as schools waited for books to arrive. Student conflicts with security personnel flared as pupils struggled to adjust to a rapidly changing educational landscape.

"Right now when I visit classrooms, teachers are teaching and instruction is going on," Jarvis said. "To me, that's a real success. Instruction is happening."

On the West Bank, the Algiers Charter School Association developed within the RSD, taking over eight schools and overseeing the education of 5,000 students.

"Charters pop up in the environment of public schools," said ACSA CEO Brian Riedlinger. "We had two or three before Hurricane Katrina, which is about average, but nothing like what we have now."

Algiers schools also had to make do in 2006 without some supplies and textbooks, but principals said the new system has less red tape.

"Everything's a bureaucracy. The smaller you can get it, the more agile things are," said Peta Leblanc, Dwight D. Eisenhower assistant principal. "I think New Orleans is too big for one school district. It's time to break it down into smaller districts."

Higher education statewide also struggled as attendance dropped and schools were forced to cut programs and faculty members to stay afloat.

In August, a Louisiana Board of Regents survey revealed enrollment in state public colleges and universities fell nearly 7 percent from 210,199 in fall 2005 to 195,556 at the beginning of the 2006 fall semester.

Nunez Community College dropped to 50 percent of pre-Katrina enrollment while Delgado Community College lost 30 percent of its student population at the start of the fall semester.

"Fifty percent is good for us," said Nunez Community College Chancellor Thomas Warner. "We didn't know what was going to happen last spring. We were expecting 200 to 400 students and we wound up with 740."

Educational leaders across the city have concluded the educational system in New Orleans needs help but it is functioning.

"This hasn't been an easy time for anyone struggling with rebuilding their homes or their lives," Jarvis said. "Rebuilding the city's education system hasn't been an easy task either. We've had our share of challenges but we have a lot to be proud of. We opened schools for thousands of students returning to New Orleans. We've maintained high standards in teacher hiring and provided our teaching staff with more opportunities for professional development. We're committed to providing students with a high quality education in schools that are safe and clean. We'll continue to repair and open more schools as more students return, and we'll continue moving forward to serve the best interests of all of our children."

Top CityBusiness stories from 2006: 8. Schools, colleges face

New Orleans CityBusiness, Dec 25, 2006 by Stephen Maloney

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