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Acadia Parish School Board

Charter School Information

Charter School Request for Applications

Acadia Parish School Board 2025-2026 District Charter School Application Process for Schools Opening in the 2027-2028 School Year or Beyond

Forms and Information Needed for Submission of a Type 1 or Type 3 Charter School Proposal
 

In compliance with R.S. 17:3982, the Acadia Parish School Board is making public through our website, and in printed form upon request, the guidelines for submitting a charter proposal, all forms required for submission of a charter proposal, the timelines established for accepting and reviewing charter proposals, the process that will be used to review charter proposals submitted to the board, and the name and contact information for a primary point of contact for charter proposals.

  • Applicants should complete the 2025-2026 Common Charter School Application found here. Applicants should complete the appropriate application based on whether or not they are a New Charter Operator, an Experienced Charter Operator or an applicant proposing to open a Virtual Charter School.

    • August 25, 2025: LDOE releases common applications and toolboxes with application resources.
    • September 8, 2025: Deadline for local school authorizers to release Charter Requests for Applications, Timeline, Process, and Point of Contact.
    • October 20, 2025: Local school boards submission deadline for the full application for Type 1 and Type 3 applicants. Applicants should email all application components to ctall@apsbonline.org.
    • January 29, 2026: Last day for Acadia Parish School Board to make decisions to approve or deny charter applications.
    • January 30, 2026:Local school boards notify LDOE of board recommendations.
  • All charter applications will be reviewed by an independent evaluator with educational, organizational, legal, and financial expertise. Applicants will have the opportunity to provide to the evaluator a written response to the independent evaluation of their charter application before the evaluator provides a final recommendation to Acadia Parish School Board.

  • Individuals or organizations with questions about the district's charter application process should contact:

    Carol D. Tall, Superintendent 
    ctall@apsbonline.org 
    337-783-3664 x 224
    Posted9/16/2025      

CHARTER AUTHORIZATION

Type 1: A Type 1 charter school is a new school operated as a result of and pursuant to a charter between the nonprofit corporation created to operate the school and a local school board.
Type 2:A Type 2 charter school is a new school or a preexisting public school converted and operated as the result of and pursuant to a charter between the nonprofit corporation created to operate and BESE.
Type 3: A Type 3 charter school is a preexisting public school converted and operated as the result of and pursuant to a charter between a nonprofit corporation and the local school board.
Type 3b: A Type 3B charter school is a former Type 5 charter school transferred from the Recovery School District to the administration and management of the transferring local school system.
Type 4: A Type 4 charter school is a preexisting public school converted and operated or a new school operated as the result of and pursuant to a charter between a local school board and BESE.
Type 5: A Type 5 charter school is a preexisting public school transferred to the Recovery School District (RSD) as a school determined to be failing pursuant to state statute and operated as the result of and pursuant to a charter between a nonprofit corporation and BESE.

2025-2026 NEW CHARTER SCHOOL REQUEST FOR APPLICATIONS

Local district authorizers must use the BESE approved Common Charter Application and may add additional questions. Each local school system must have the Charter RFA application materials and point of contact on their websites. Please see the website for the school system in which you wish to apply for a Type 1 or 3 charter school. To view the BESE approved Common Charter Applications for New Operators, Experienced Operators, and Virtual Operators, see the applications below.

  • New Operator Common Charter Application

    • Nonprofit organization whose primary members (founder and/or proposed school leader) do not have prior experience in leading or managing a public school; and

    • Who do not intend to employ an educational service provider (ESP) with prior experience in leading or managing public schools.

    • See the addendum for virtual operators

  • Experienced Operator Common Charter Application

    • Nonprofit organizations whose primary members (founder and/or proposed school leader) have prior experience in leading or managing a single public school; and/or

    • Nonprofit organizations which have operated more than one charter school; and/or

    • Nonprofit organizations which intend to employ an education service provider (ESP) which has operated more than one charter school.

    • See the addendum for virtual operators

  • Additional Resources

KEY DATES FOR LOCAL AUTHORIZING

  • September 8, 2025: Deadline by which local school boards must post application materials to their websites. Use of the District Website template is optional.
  • October 20, 2025: Charter applications are due to districts.
  • January 29, 2026: Deadline for districts to consider charter applications. If a district has not made a decision about a charter application by this point, that applicant group is eligible to appeal to BESE.
  • January 30, 2026: Report any charter entered into; the number of schools chartered; the status of those schools, and any recommendations relating to the charter RFA process to charters@la.gov.Note: This list includes a limited selection of key dates and deadlines. Please see the local authorizer's websites for a full description of timelines.

Note:This list includes a limited selection of key dates and deadlines. Please see the local authorizer's websites for a full description of timelines.

Key Dates for BESE-Approved Charter Applications (Types 2 and 4)

2025-2026 ANNUAL NEW CHARTER SCHOOL REQUEST FOR APPLICATIONS

(SCHOOLS SLATED TO OPEN AUGUST 2027)

 

  • February 2, 2026: LDOE application opens for Types 2 and 4 applicants
  • February 9, 2026 by 5 p.m. (emailed to charters@la.gov): Letters of Intent due to the LDOE
  • March 9, 2026 by 5 p.m. (emailed to charters@la.gov): Eligibility determination forms due
  • March 30, 2026 by 5 p.m. (emailed to charters@la.gov): LDOE submission deadline for the full application for Types 2 and 4 applicants
  • August 18, 2026: BESE considers applications for new Type 2 and 4 applicants

2026 MID-YEAR NEW CHARTER SCHOOL REQUEST FOR APPLICATIONS

(SCHOOLS SLATED TO OPEN AUGUST 2027)

 

  • June 1, 2026 by 5 p.m.: LDOE application window opens for Types 2 and 4 applicants
  • June 8, 2026 by 5 p.m. (emailed to charters@la.gov): Letter of intent due to the LDOE
  • July 6, 2026 by 5 p.m. (emailed to charters@la.gov): Eligibility Determination Forms Due
  • July 20, 2026 by 5 p.m. (emailed to charters@la.gov): LDOE submission deadline for the full application for Types 2 and 4 applicants.
  • December 8, 2026: Types 2 and 4 applicants: BESE considers applications for new charter schools