Most New Orleans families worry their children’s school could close as the city's overall enrollment declines, according to a new Cowen Institute poll.
The annual survey from the institute at Tulane University found that 61% of public school parents and guardians were concerned.
The concern rose to 70% among families whose children receive special education services or have an Individualized Education Plan (IEP).
The poll surveyed 1,000 New Orleans parents and guardians of K-12 students from Sept. 1-16, including families using public schools, private schools and homeschooling.
The survey didn't ask families why they were concerned, but the Cowen Institute’s Vincent Rossmeier said the higher rate among special education families could be because parents worry their children won't get the same support at a different school.
“There’s no guarantee that they will find the same level of services at a private school or even another public school, especially if they are happy with what services they are being provided with now,” Rossmeier said.
This is the first year the Cowen Institute has asked families in the annual survey whether they worry the district or charter operators could close their children’s schools.
New Orleans school leaders are weighing which schools to close as enrollment declines. The district is also reviewing some charter schools' contracts early if they've had consistently low test scores.
Rossmeier said enrollment is declining because fewer babies are being born and people are moving out of New Orleans. Schools receive funding based on enrollment, putting financial pressure on those with fewer students.
“Schools can’t function financially if they are vastly under-enrolled,” he said.
Some schools and charter management organizations have already consolidated in response.
Families whose children receive special education services or have an IEP also expressed heightened concern about school closures linked to academic performance: 61% reported worry, compared with 42% of public school parents overall.
Special education challenges
If their child’s school closed, 71% of public school parents and guardians said they would send their child to another public school.
In most school systems, district leaders coordinate special education resources across schools. But in New Orleans’ decentralized system, families choose schools for their children, including those with complex needs, and individual schools must meet those needs.
In 2010, families filed a lawsuit alleging that some charter schools denied students required accommodations, refused them admission or pushed them out entirely.
The lawsuit led to a 2015 settlement that established independent monitoring of special education services. Last April, a federal judge lifted it, saying families' individual problems could no longer be "traced to a systemic failure" by the school system.
NOLA Public Schools and charter schools have taken steps to improve services, and some work with the district to share resources.
Cowen's report recommends that the district and charter operators communicate early about closure criteria and timelines, and help displaced families find another school.
New Orleans families can apply to public schools across the city through a centralized enrollment process by ranking their preferred schools. Placement depends on available seats and schools' enrollment priorities, so families are not guaranteed a spot at their first choice or a school near home.
The survey also found fewer parents expressed negative views about the direction of public education in New Orleans. Among all respondents, 19% said it was getting worse, down from 34% last year. About half said it was staying the same, while 24% said it was improving — similar to last year.
Cowen also cautioned that this year’s sample included more families with children exclusively in public schools and fewer households earning under $30,000 than last year.
Aubri Juhasz contributed reporting.
