Families and staff at L.B. Landry High School learned last week that its charter operator, the Algiers Charter Schools Association, no longer wanted to run the storied high school. But the intention to let Landry’s contract expire was set in motion at least three weeks prior, according to documents obtained by Lamplighter News. 

That’s when the charter group submitted its “intent to renew” letter to the NOLA Public Schools district. The group, in fact, did not want to renew Landry’s contract. The news of Landry’s potential closure was first reported by Marie Fazio last week, after the board ratified the decision.

New Orleans’ charter schools operate on 3- to 10-year operating agreements approved by the elected Orleans Parish School Board. Each fall, volunteer-run charter school boards facing an expiring contract must decide whether to keep the school open.

On Sept. 3, one day before the district’s deadline, Algiers’ CEO Tammi Griffin-Major and Board President Calvin Roussell inked the charter group’s “Intent to Renew” document. 

Next to the question, “Does the charter school intend to renew its charter operating agreement at the conclusion of the current term?” a hand-scrawled “X” checks the box indicating “No.” 

That means Landry will close at the end of the 2026-27 school year unless the NOLA Public School district steps in to run the school directly or another charter group takes over. 

Enrollment is falling across the city, reflecting a nationwide trend. NOLA Public Schools and the state-run Recovery School District doled out charter contracts for years. But as enrollment began dropping, the district was forced to ask charter groups to handle consolidation. 

“We are facing tough times and decisions in public education,” district spokeswoman Taslin Alfonzo told Lamplighter via email. “And we commend Dr. Tammi Griffin-Major and the Algiers Charter School Association’s Board of Directors for prioritizing student success and wellbeing.”

A new state law will give the district the power to close charter schools mid-contract if certain enrollment conditions are met. 

Algiers, one of the first charter groups in the city, ran six charter schools a decade ago. It has shrunk, along with other charter operators, through a combination of closing and merging schools. Griffin-Major did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Communication of School Closures

Earlier this year, KIPP New Orleans Schools voted to close Frederick Douglass High School at a mid-March meeting, two months before the end of the school year. The decision came after the district’s enrollment deadline, leaving families little choice but to remain in the KIPP system at its newly merged high school.

Hoping for a glimpse at potential school changes this fall, Lamplighter News requested the intent to renew letters on September 10. After requesting a status update this morning (Sept. 28), the documents were provided, including the Landry letter.

Orleans Parish School Board member KaTrina Griffin, whose district includes Landry, said she found out about the decision on Friday, along with the rest of the public. On Monday morning, she reviewed a recording of the charter group’s most recent academic committee meeting. Hearing the committee discuss financial and academic struggles, she says she understands the decision.

“I’m not upset about the decision to not renew the charter, or the timing,” Griffin said. Though she added, “If NOLA-PS has known since September 3, I do have some issues with that part.”

School closures announced late in the school year can send families scrambling to find a new seat for the upcoming school year. School closures announced in the fall, can create instability as teachers and staff consider their own employment going forward. 

“I’m not upset with the timing,” she said. “I would have been more upset if it had been January or February.”

Her main concern now: “How can we incentivize the staff to stay?”

What’s Next

Tonight (Monday, Sept. 28), the NOLA Public Schools district is hosting a meeting at the West Bank high school. It is one in a series of community meetings hosted by district Superintendent Fateama Fulmore, entitled “Stronger, Sustainable, Successful Schools.” 

The series was announced via the district’s social media accounts on September 10. That was one week after Algiers’ leaders signed the district document indicating they did not intend to continue running Landry. 

On Sunday night, the district sent a statement to media emphasizing the event had been scheduled prior to the announcement: The “event is a district Stronger, Sustainable, Successful Schools / charter-renewal presentation — not an alumni meeting or town hall.”

The meeting is open to the public. 

Time: 5:30–7:00 p.m.

Location: L.B. Landry High School, 1200 L.B. Landry Ave., New Orleans

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