Leigh Guidry Lafayette Daily Advertiser
Bridget Campbell Winters waited behind a large wooden table to field questions from members of the Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education in October.
“One common factor guiding all of us as board members together is our commitment to help the children of Vermilion Parish receive the best possible education in the best possible environment,” Winters said during a BESE committee meeting. “Students deserve better than (overcrowded schools), and that’s where we can help.”
Winters is president of an eight-person board applying to open a charter school in Maurice. Their application was denied at the local level, which brought them to the state board, and they’ll receive a final decision on their application in January.
Three years ago, Stephanie Moreau sat behind the same table to discuss her group’s plan for Red River Charter Academy in Mansura. They tried for years to open a new charter in Avoyelles Parish, and finally they got a yes. The school opened its doors to students in August 2019, making it one of the newest charter schools in Louisiana.