Incoming ninth graders will have the option to attend Iberville Charter Academy next school year as the academy expands into high school, adding a new grade each year after 2025. Leaders at the charter school are asking for parent feedback as they prepare to open the doors.
“We will need your help in building many of these programs,” regional superintendent Carlos Sam told parents and staff members at a community meeting Wednesday night.
Iberville Charter Academy, a member of Charter Schools USA, offers personalized learning plans and small class sizes, Principal Joshua Warren said.
In 2022, the academy in Plaquemine was the subject of controversy after outside auditors reported the school was charging parents tuition and fees as well as operating “learning pods” off campus and without state knowledge. As a public charter that receives funding for students from the state, Iberville Charter Academy cannot charge tuition.
Warren confirmed that the academy and the future high school are tuition-free, and parents will not pay fees.
Charter leaders ask for feedback
In the meeting, administrators asked attendees, many of whom also were staff members of the academy, what classes, extracurriculars and college and career readiness programs they wanted to see in their children’s future high school. They broke into small groups, wrote on posters and presented their answers to the audience.
“You got to have traditional sports,” one staff member said during the brainstorming sessions. “What about different kinds of sports, like soccer?”
“I was just thinking about that,” another attendee said.
Posters created by community members hang from the Iberville Charter Academy cafeteria after a meeting on Nov. 6, 2024.
The groups mentioned mental health support, networking opportunities, STEM classes and family involvement as priorities for the new school. One of the most common requests of the night was financial literacy training, which Warren said caught his attention.
“I think as adults, as we grow up, we say, ‘Man, I wish I would’ve learned this in school,’” Warren said. “So, I think (financial literacy) would be very beneficial and something we lean towards when building this high school.”
is open through Dec. 1. Warren said the school will accept current academy attendees and outside students.
“Hopefully we can pack the building, right?” Warren said. “As many freshmen as possible and pre-K through eighth as well. Our goal is just to get kids to not be so transient, to stick with us.”