Are Louisiana’s charter schools delivering? 

Charter schools are reshaping the educational landscape in Baton Rouge—but are they truly delivering on their promise? 

Today, nearly 30% of Baton Rouge’s public school students attend charters, with new data suggesting they outperform traditional schools in both academic growth and overall performance. Still, questions linger about equity, funding and long-term sustainability. 

As Business Report writes in its latest issue, BASIS Materra earned an “A” performance grade last year—the only open-enrollment public school in the city to do so. Leaders credit its accelerated curriculum and strong teacher support, but the school’s success also shines a spotlight on the broader charter school movement. 

With rising enrollment and improved letter grades citywide, advocates say the charter system is maturing but warn against comparing charters against traditional schools. 

New Schools for Baton Rouge founder Chris Meyer is quick to point out that charter schools and traditional public schools should not be seen as in competition with one another and that overall academic performance across the entire East Baton Rouge Parish School System is also on the rise.

Read the full story, and send comments to editor@businessreport.com.