Charters Up Close

Start A Charter School

In Louisiana, charter schools are approved by local school boards or the state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE).

The Louisiana Department of Education publishes a set of common eligibility requirements that charter school applicants must complete to be considered for opening a charter school in the state, along with the common charter school application. Local school boards may elect to impose additional eligibility requirements, which must be published on their websites.

Charter school applicants may submit their application to one or more authorizers.

For more information on the charter application process and relevant deadlines, please visit the Louisiana Department of Education website at louisianabelieves.com.

For more information on LAPCS resources for charter school developers, please fill out our new school info form.

New School Info Form

The Louisiana Association of Public Charter Schools is committed to supporting founding groups in their efforts to develop a high quality charter school. Charter school development is at minimum a two-year process that includes planning, writing the charter application, and completing all tasks necessary to open a new school. In order for LAPCS to best support your efforts, please take a few moments to let us know about your new school initiative.