Charter School in Baker Granted Restraining Order in Renewal Dispute
BAKER, La. — A judge issued a temporary restraining order Friday in favor of Impact Charter School, preventing the Louisiana Department of Education and the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE) from delaying the school’s charter renewal process.
The school’s attorney, Ron Haley, argued that Impact met all state-mandated requirements for renewal and said an ongoing audit should not interfere with the process. According to Haley, the school was unfairly left off BESE’s December agenda for charter renewals.
“We have a problem with that. One, it isn't fair, and to do something like that is arbitrary and capricious,” Haley said.
Haley said state officials had previously assured the school that the audit would not affect the renewal process. However, he claimed that the situation abruptly changed just weeks before the renewal deadline.
“Two to three weeks before they are supposed to be renewed, ‘Hey, we’re going to see what’s going on with this audit. We’ll put you on the docket for January,’” Haley said. “We don’t have an end date for the audit. It could end tomorrow, or it could stretch into months. Are you then going to delay them again based on that?”
Haley argued that under state law, the audit is not a required factor for charter renewal. He maintained that Impact Charter School is entitled to an automatic renewal.
“We’re not talking about revoking a charter. We’re not talking about sanctions or actions against the school,” he said. “The law is simple: if you meet the criteria, you get renewed. And they’ve met the criteria.”
