Thrive Academy is a residential charter school in East Baton Rouge Parish which seeks to enroll 6th – 12th grade students designated as “at risk” while boarding those same students from Sunday through Friday. Thrive Academy hopes to expand to other areas of the state.
Rep. Steven Carter has proposed HB887 to convert Thrive Academy's funding model to the same funding model as other schools under the state’s control, such as Louisiana School for Math, Science, and the Arts.
Unfortunately, according to Thrive Academy’s NGO funding request, this charter school model is unsustainable as a private venture. Therefore, with HB 887 taxpayers are simply being put on the hook to guarantee profits for yet another business venture that could otherwise never succeed.
According to the fiscal note the state pays both the state and the local share as determined by the parish in which the student otherwise resides. Since the state will be covering both the state and local share, what happens to the local share that was originally allotted to the district? Is it returned to the taxpayers; or, does it remain with the district so that taxpayers are paying twice for the same local share: once through the state funding to the charter school and once in the original allotment to the district?
Given the current budget crisis and upcoming, related Special Session, are we supposed to believe that this bill has anything to do with what is in the best interest of the taxpayers in this state; or, are taxpayers simply getting hit with another bailout?
Meanwhile, Thrive Academy needs more students. HB 887 also aims to help them increase enrollment by targeting children of parents who:
1) enroll their children in Medicaid as their required health provider
2) enroll their children in public schools that fail to teach them to read on grade level
3) enroll their children in public schools whose principal, counselor, or teacher recommends the student attend Thrive Academy
3) allow their children to be tardy and/or absent more than 5 times in a semester and are, as a result, considered neglectful by oppressive state truancy laws
4) allow their children to sleep on a sofa or in a motel or to live with their family in a trailer park—all of which qualify a child as “homeless” under the McKinney-Vento Act
It takes only one of the examples listed above for your child to be deemed “at risk” according to HB 887.
In response to our statement regarding the dangers inherent in the definition of “at risk” in this bill, the director of the school, Sarah Broome, was quick to point out that she and her school would never consider enrolling a student against the wishes of the parent. What Ms. Broome failed to mention is that she doesn’t have to: in the instance of neglect and homelessness, the state can take custody of a child and, at that point, the state will be in control of what school and/or residential facility that child will attend.
In the case of children waiting for foster care placement (which can happen as the result of a determination of neglect), the state already has the authority to place these children in educational and/or residential settings. Since children waiting for foster care placement are also deemed to be “at risk” within this bill, this is another case of the state being able to do for Thrive Academy what Ms. Broome so quickly stated she would not.
In reference to homeschooling: in the case of a child reading below grade level or a child whose parent wants to decide when and how their child is taught, we have concern that a parent considering homeschooling their child may find themselves being pressured into enrolling their child in Thrive Academy. Especially in the case of neglect charges, this does not seem out of the realm of possibility.
We also think it is no small point that the definition of “at risk” can always be expanded by any legislature in the future.
HB 887 has passed the House of Representatives and Sen. Ed. Committee. It is scheduled to be heard today in Sen. Finance Committee upon adjournment of the Senate. Since the full Senate will began meeting at 10:00 A.M. and, as of 2:35 they are still in session, there is definitely still time to contact the committee.
Please, contact Senate Finance Committee members and ask that they vote No to HB 887 (Carter, S.). Please, ask your contacts to do the same. We strongly believe that this is a very dangerous and fiscally irresponsible bill.
Senate Finance Committee--
[email protected], [email protected], [email protected],
[email protected], [email protected], [email protected],
[email protected], [email protected], [email protected],
[email protected], [email protected], [email protected],
[email protected], [email protected], [email protected]
Call the Senate switchboard (225-342-2040) to leave a message for committee members; and/or, call their office numbers below:
Chairman LaFleur (337) 363-5019 (877) 396-4600
Vice-Chair Allain, II (337) 828-9107 (985) 850-2738
Sen. Appel (504) 838-5550
Sen. Barrow (225) 359-9400 (225) 359-9332
Sen. Bishop (504) 242-4198
Sen. Donahue (985) 727-7949
Sen. Fannin (318) 259-6620 (800) 259-8694
Sen. Hewitt (985) 646-6490 (504) 278-6530
Sen. Johns (337) 491-2016
Sen. Tarver (318) 227-1499
Sen. White (225) 272-1324
Sen. Chabert (985) 858-2927
Sen. Morrish (337) 824-3979 (888) 824-3979
Sen. Thompson (318) 878-9408 (800) 259-9408
Sen. Walsworth (318) 340-6453 (866) 518-8573
Rep. Steven Carter has proposed HB887 to convert Thrive Academy's funding model to the same funding model as other schools under the state’s control, such as Louisiana School for Math, Science, and the Arts.
Unfortunately, according to Thrive Academy’s NGO funding request, this charter school model is unsustainable as a private venture. Therefore, with HB 887 taxpayers are simply being put on the hook to guarantee profits for yet another business venture that could otherwise never succeed.
According to the fiscal note the state pays both the state and the local share as determined by the parish in which the student otherwise resides. Since the state will be covering both the state and local share, what happens to the local share that was originally allotted to the district? Is it returned to the taxpayers; or, does it remain with the district so that taxpayers are paying twice for the same local share: once through the state funding to the charter school and once in the original allotment to the district?
Given the current budget crisis and upcoming, related Special Session, are we supposed to believe that this bill has anything to do with what is in the best interest of the taxpayers in this state; or, are taxpayers simply getting hit with another bailout?
Meanwhile, Thrive Academy needs more students. HB 887 also aims to help them increase enrollment by targeting children of parents who:
1) enroll their children in Medicaid as their required health provider
2) enroll their children in public schools that fail to teach them to read on grade level
3) enroll their children in public schools whose principal, counselor, or teacher recommends the student attend Thrive Academy
3) allow their children to be tardy and/or absent more than 5 times in a semester and are, as a result, considered neglectful by oppressive state truancy laws
4) allow their children to sleep on a sofa or in a motel or to live with their family in a trailer park—all of which qualify a child as “homeless” under the McKinney-Vento Act
It takes only one of the examples listed above for your child to be deemed “at risk” according to HB 887.
In response to our statement regarding the dangers inherent in the definition of “at risk” in this bill, the director of the school, Sarah Broome, was quick to point out that she and her school would never consider enrolling a student against the wishes of the parent. What Ms. Broome failed to mention is that she doesn’t have to: in the instance of neglect and homelessness, the state can take custody of a child and, at that point, the state will be in control of what school and/or residential facility that child will attend.
In the case of children waiting for foster care placement (which can happen as the result of a determination of neglect), the state already has the authority to place these children in educational and/or residential settings. Since children waiting for foster care placement are also deemed to be “at risk” within this bill, this is another case of the state being able to do for Thrive Academy what Ms. Broome so quickly stated she would not.
In reference to homeschooling: in the case of a child reading below grade level or a child whose parent wants to decide when and how their child is taught, we have concern that a parent considering homeschooling their child may find themselves being pressured into enrolling their child in Thrive Academy. Especially in the case of neglect charges, this does not seem out of the realm of possibility.
We also think it is no small point that the definition of “at risk” can always be expanded by any legislature in the future.
HB 887 has passed the House of Representatives and Sen. Ed. Committee. It is scheduled to be heard today in Sen. Finance Committee upon adjournment of the Senate. Since the full Senate will began meeting at 10:00 A.M. and, as of 2:35 they are still in session, there is definitely still time to contact the committee.
Please, contact Senate Finance Committee members and ask that they vote No to HB 887 (Carter, S.). Please, ask your contacts to do the same. We strongly believe that this is a very dangerous and fiscally irresponsible bill.
Senate Finance Committee--
[email protected], [email protected], [email protected],
[email protected], [email protected], [email protected],
[email protected], [email protected], [email protected],
[email protected], [email protected], [email protected],
[email protected], [email protected], [email protected]
Call the Senate switchboard (225-342-2040) to leave a message for committee members; and/or, call their office numbers below:
Chairman LaFleur (337) 363-5019 (877) 396-4600
Vice-Chair Allain, II (337) 828-9107 (985) 850-2738
Sen. Appel (504) 838-5550
Sen. Barrow (225) 359-9400 (225) 359-9332
Sen. Bishop (504) 242-4198
Sen. Donahue (985) 727-7949
Sen. Fannin (318) 259-6620 (800) 259-8694
Sen. Hewitt (985) 646-6490 (504) 278-6530
Sen. Johns (337) 491-2016
Sen. Tarver (318) 227-1499
Sen. White (225) 272-1324
Sen. Chabert (985) 858-2927
Sen. Morrish (337) 824-3979 (888) 824-3979
Sen. Thompson (318) 878-9408 (800) 259-9408
Sen. Walsworth (318) 340-6453 (866) 518-8573