The Louisiana board of regents has announced a $1 million grant to encourage universities in the state to help failing K-12 public schools.
The grant was inspired by the success of the University of New Orleans’ work at the underperforming Pierre A. Capdau Charter School, said Kevin Hardy, a spokesman for the board of regents. State lawmakers last June signed over the school to the university, and Mr. Hardy said the regents were “very encouraged” by the progress at the school since that time.
Universities would propose new programs under a competitive-grant process. Winners would receive around $100,000 a year to work directly with public schools that are designated as underperforming under state accountability measures. Louisiana now has 78 such schools, 57 of which are in New Orleans.
Mr. Hardy said the board hoped that universities would also use the awards to leverage more funding from businesses. “We hope it will serve as sort of seed money to get the programs started,” he said.
