Leah Chase School opens in NOLa. marking return to direct-run schools

By John Gray
Contributing Writer

(VeriteNews.org) — The Leah Chase School opened its doors on Tuesday (Aug. 6) as New Orleans’ first permanent, direct-run public school in nearly two decades.

The elementary school located in Uptown is led by Principal Crystal LaFrance and Vice Principal Virgil Tiller. The school serves about 300 students, NOLA Public Schools Superintendent Avis Williams said at a press conference on last Tuesday. She told Verite News that the school system is preparing to directly run more schools.

The school is named after New Orleans culinary and civil rights legend Leah Chase, whose imagery is depicted throughout the school.

“We’re excited to open a school honoring an icon from our community and making sure that our scholars that are here can see themselves in the curriculum and can feel like they’re in New Orleans when they’re at this school,” Williams said.

The Leah Chase School, located Uptown, is the first direct-run public school in New Orleans in nearly 20 years.

Alisa Bertell, a Gert Town resident, spoke to Verite News after dropping her daughter off at the school. Her daughter previously attended Lafayette Academy, which shut down at the end of 2023-24 school year and was housed in the building now occupied by the Leah Chase School. She said it would have been horrible if another school didn’t replace it.

“I have talked to a few other parents, and they are excited that the school did come back because we needed the school,” Bertell said.

This article originally published in the August 12, 2024 print edition of The Louisiana Weekly newspaper.