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Started By
Message
Hold up - Baker, which formed its own school district in 2003, is going all charter now?
Posted on 7/17/25 at 10:57 am
Posted on 7/17/25 at 10:57 am
Baker main office is a ghost town as charter group takes over city public schools
More obvious corruption in the great state of Louisiana.
LINK
quote:
You can count on one hand these days the number of people still working for the Baker school system.
Schools Superintendent J.T. Stroder names four people, including himself, who continue to show up each day at the old car dealership at the corner of Plank and Pettit roads that serves as the main office for this suburban Baton Rouge school district.
By contrast, the bulk of the rest of the 100-plus Baker school employees have signed on with the new management: Helix Community Schools.
Helix is a 15-year-old charter school group based in Baton Rouge. It’s led by Preston Castille, an attorney and a member of the Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education.
More obvious corruption in the great state of Louisiana.
quote:
Baker is the second school district in Louisiana to convert to all charters. NOLA Public Schools is the other district to do so, though last year it opened a lone school that it operates directly.
Charter schools are public schools run privately via charters, or contracts.
The conversion to charters ends 22 years of direct school operations for Baker, dating back to when the small city gained its educational independence from the East Baton Rouge Parish school system.
Over that time, Baker has seen enrollment decline. Some students jumped to independent charter schools, including three the state allowed to open in Baker. Baker has also struggled academically, landing at or near the bottom of state rankings.
quote:
On June 26, Helix finalized its takeover of Baker public schools, about three months after the process was initiated. Helix is moving into three school properties which are home to Baker’s two remaining schools: Baker High and Park Ridge Academic Magnet School. Helix's contract continues through summer 2030.
LINK
9
Posted on 7/17/25 at 11:04 am to 4cubbies
I just pulled up the Baker High LEAP scores published last week.
They are in this order
Advanced / Mastery / Basic / Approaching Basic / Unsatisfactory
Not a single kid in any subject got Advanced.
English I
<=1(A) 14(M) 22(B) 18(AB) 46(U)
English II
<=1 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 20
Algebra
<=1 | 15 | 24 | 44 | 18U
Geometry
<=1 | 5 | 27 | 40 | 28U
Biology
<=1 | 7 | 30 | 30 | 33U
US History
<=1 | 4 | 26 | 29 | 42U
They are in this order
Advanced / Mastery / Basic / Approaching Basic / Unsatisfactory
Not a single kid in any subject got Advanced.
English I
<=1(A) 14(M) 22(B) 18(AB) 46(U)
English II
<=1 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 20
Algebra
<=1 | 15 | 24 | 44 | 18U
Geometry
<=1 | 5 | 27 | 40 | 28U
Biology
<=1 | 7 | 30 | 30 | 33U
US History
<=1 | 4 | 26 | 29 | 42U
This post was edited on 7/17/25 at 11:06 am
Posted on 7/17/25 at 11:06 am to 4cubbies
Anyway, isn't it shocking how blatantly corrupt all facets of Louisiana government is?
funneling public tax dollars to a BESE member's pet charter school project is so on brand for Louisiana.
funneling public tax dollars to a BESE member's pet charter school project is so on brand for Louisiana.
Posted on 7/17/25 at 11:08 am to 4cubbies
quote:
funneling public tax dollars to a BESE member's pet charter school project is so on brand for Louisiana.
He was doing charter schools long before his election to BESE. Kind of makes me think that the voters were asking for it...
Posted on 7/17/25 at 11:15 am to MintBerry Crunch
quote:
He was doing charter schools long before his election to BESE.
Since he was elected to BESE less than 2 years ago, the number of charter schools he "manages" has doubled. Purely coincidental, I'm sure.
Posted on 7/17/25 at 11:25 am to 4cubbies
quote:
4cubbies
Posted on 7/17/25 at 11:27 am to 4cubbies
quote:
Charter schools are public schools run privately via charters, or contracts
This in and of itself is not inherently bad
quote:
charter school group based in Baton Rouge. It’s led by Preston Castille, an attorney and a member of (BESE)
THIS IS LOUISIANA IN A NUTSHELL
Posted on 7/17/25 at 11:38 am to 4cubbies
quote:
Anyway, isn't it shocking how blatantly corrupt all facets of Louisiana government is?
Parents are pulling their kids out of shitty schools and going to charter schools. How is that corruption?
I'm not saying education $$ can't be abused; ALL government money can be and usually is abused. I just don't see how a charter school = corruption by definition.
Posted on 7/17/25 at 11:40 am to 4cubbies
For clarity, Castille has taken roughly $400k in compensation on ~$6.5M in revenue for the four years of 2020-2023.
In comparison, the superintendent of Baker public schools has made ~$576k over that same time period. Sounds like a grifter just in it for the money?
In comparison, the superintendent of Baker public schools has made ~$576k over that same time period. Sounds like a grifter just in it for the money?
Posted on 7/17/25 at 11:57 am to Flats
quote:
I just don't see how a charter school = corruption by definition.
The fact that a member of the state education governing board is funneling tax dollars to his own private charter school network is corruption.
Posted on 7/17/25 at 12:03 pm to 4cubbies
quote:
The fact that a member of the state education governing board is funneling tax dollars to his own private charter school network is corruption.
Depending on who approves charters it may or may not be a conflict of interest (sounds like it probably is but details matter), but unless Louisiana laws are wildly different than Florida's you can't "funnel money" to a charter school. You can open one, and you either get customers or you don't. If you don't you close. The parents are ultimately in charge of where the money goes.
Posted on 7/17/25 at 12:11 pm to MintBerry Crunch
It’s a nationwide trend
Posted on 7/17/25 at 12:13 pm to 4cubbies
quote:
The fact that a member of the state education governing board is funneling tax dollars to his own private charter school network is corruption.
That’s not how charter schools work
Posted on 7/17/25 at 12:18 pm to 4cubbies
quote:
funneling public tax dollars to a BESE member's pet charter school project is so on brand for Louisiana.
Baker is virtually 100% comprised of democrats. That’s your people.
Posted on 7/17/25 at 12:19 pm to the808bass
quote:
For clarity, Castille has taken roughly $400k in compensation on ~$6.5M in revenue for the four years of 2020-2023.
According to what? Helix's 2023 990 shows Castille's compensation at $270,000 for the year. You're claiming that his average annual compensation for the previous two years was $65,000?
quote:
In comparison, the superintendent of Baker public schools has made ~$576k over that same time period.
For actual clarity, in 2023, Castille made $270,000 while the superintendent of Baker schools earned $157,000 in 2024.
quote:
Sounds like a grifter just in it for the money?
Absolutely. He made almost double what the public school district's superintendent earned. I've been telling y'all for years that charter schools are a big grift.
Posted on 7/17/25 at 12:22 pm to 4cubbies
quote:
funneling public tax dollars to a BESE member's pet charter school project is so on brand for Louisiana
Proof of this?
And if tax dollars are going to the charter schools, what of it really? The article you linked says that enrollment at public schools is floundering. So is tax money supposed to go to education or not? Do these charter schools produce a better result for students? If so, that is a better expense of tax dollars than some crappy public school.
This post was edited on 7/17/25 at 12:27 pm
Posted on 7/17/25 at 12:33 pm to Chef Curry
quote:
Baker is virtually 100% comprised of democrats. That’s your people.
I don’t play the democrats vs republicans game. They’re all the same. You’ll figure it out someday.
Posted on 7/17/25 at 12:40 pm to UtahCajun
quote:
Proof of this?
You’re right. I assumed that the Helix charters were Type 2 charters authorized by BESE. It appears they were authorized by the City of Baker school board.
quote:
The article you linked says that enrollment at public schools is floundering.
Public school enrollment is down across the state and probably the entire country. With the exception of New Orleans, private school enrollment is down across the state, too. There are fewer kids.
Posted on 7/17/25 at 12:53 pm to 4cubbies
quote:
Baker, which formed its own school district in 2003
From what I have read most of the people who pushed for and supported creating the Baker school district in early 90s (might started in late 80s) gave up and moved after Judge Parker kept delaying the district as part of his EBR school district desegregation case/enforcement.
The state voters approved the district in 1995, but by 2003 the demographics of the city and school district were well on their way to today’s demographics.
Posted on 7/17/25 at 12:55 pm to 4cubbies
Sure Jan
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