Red Stick Schools Guide Helps Families Navigate School Options

Sponsored by Baton Rouge Alliance for Students

Most employers will tell you that the quality of schools in a community plays a role in their ability to recruit, hire and retain. Not only are the relationships between businesses and schools important to help develop the next generation of skilled workers and entrepreneurs, but they also directly impact the strength of our local economy as employees with families weigh quality of life in their employment decisions. For business owners, providing resources to employees navigating our city’s choice-rich environment can have significant positive benefits.

Our city’s best public education options are often choice schools that require families to apply specifically to them through a complex annual process. To make that journey a little easier, the Baton Rouge Alliance for Students publishes the Red Stick Schools Guide each year. This guide provides families with a clear look at the diverse school options available in our community, helping parents feel empowered, not overwhelmed, and simplifying what can often feel like a complex and confusing process.

Baton Rouge’s priority school enrollment season for magnet, focus choice, and public charter schools runs from October to December, during which time many of our city’s families are looking to make important decisions about their children’s education. We all know how overwhelming the process can be – researching schools, weighing options, navigating the application and enrollment processes, and ensuring we make the best choice for our families.

The Red Stick Schools Guide and companion website provide resources to help families evaluate their own priorities and find schools that match the unique needs of their students. With videos, worksheets and a rich data set updated with school offerings, programs and performance, parents and caregivers can feel armed with all the tools they need to make a school selection. The site offers tips on what to look for and questions to ask during school visits as well as layman’s language to help families sift through all the education jargon that can make the process seem daunting.

As your company looks for ways to support its employees, keep an eye out for the Red Stick Schools Guide as a resource to help them make this big decision. The guide is available both in print and online at redstickschools.org.