The Richland Parish School Board voted Tuesday to approve an agreement with Third Future Schools to operate Rayville Elementary School beginning next school year, marking a significant shift for the campus as it transitions to charter management.
The open-enrollment public charter network, which operates schools in Louisiana and other states, focuses on improving student outcomes and has campuses in Baton Rouge and Shreveport.
Rayville Elementary, which serves pre-kindergarten through fifth grade, will continue to serve local students under the new agreement, though administrative changes are expected as the transition moves forward.
During discussion of the measure, school board member Marie Lewis asked that the board acknowledge the work of Principal Elycia Hill, noting that the school had been making progress under her leadership. Lewis was the only board member to abstain from the vote.
During an April 20 meeting at Rayville Elementary, Deputy Chief of Schools and Operations Shirley Miles outlined the organization’s approach to parents and teachers, emphasizing its track record of improving struggling campuses.
Miles said she and her brother founded the network 10 years ago in a former Hobby Lobby building in Colorado. The organization has since expanded to 27 schools across Colorado, Texas and Louisiana.
“All schools have shown improvement from scores of F to As and Bs,” Miles said. “We see ourselves as turnaround specialists.”
She said the model centers on strong instruction and leadership.
“The most important thing is a quality teacher in the classroom,” Miles said. “The second most important thing is quality leadership.” Miles said the network aims for students to achieve 1.7 years of academic growth annually, noting that traditional one-year progress is not sufficient for students who are already behind.
“We don’t teach children what to think. We teach them how to think,” she said.
According to Miles, the system reports a 90 percent student retention rate and a 94 percent teacher retention rate, with teacher salaries set at $75,000 annually.
The academic structure differs from traditional models. The school will not use textbooks or assign homework, relying instead on standardized lesson plans developed for all teachers. Substitute teachers are not used. Instead, teacher apprentices, who are already familiar with students and the system, step in when needed.
Class periods begin with 45 minutes of instruction followed by an assessment. Students who demonstrate mastery move to a team center for advanced work, while those who do not receive an additional 45 minutes of targeted instruction.
Students are not automatically promoted. Those who fail to master material are required to attend summer school and may be held back if they do not improve. Discipline expectations are strict, with rules centered on respect and avoiding disruption. Students who cannot meet those standards may be expelled.
Miles acknowledged the school’s long-standing academic struggles.
“The school has been at an F for 14 years,” she said. “The main goal is to pull you out of F status.”
The campus will operate from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., with extended hours from 6:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. to accommodate working parents.
Bus schedules will align with the existing district system, and all lunches will be provided at no cost.
There will be no uniform requirement during the first year, though the school will follow the Rayville Elementary dress code, including a prohibition on ripped jeans.
Miles spent time Tuesday observing current teachers interested in joining the new program and said interviews will be scheduled for those who appear to be strong fits.
Further details on staffing and day-to-day operations are expected to be finalized in the coming months as the transition proceeds.
