Glencoe Charter School gives Rotary Club presentation

Director of V.B. Glencoe Charter School Loren Decuir, and Glencoe Charter’s Administrative Dean Brandon Trahan presented the weekly program at the Franklin Rotary Club’s meeting Tuesday.
Decuir discussed the 20th anniversary of the school and its now 375 students from St. Mary and Iberia Parishes, as well as its being one of the few A-rated schools in those parishes, as rated by the Louisiana Department of Education.
Glencoe Charter hosts children who range in age from pre-kindergarten to ninth-grade, and elected last year to expand the age parameters to 10th grade aged kids, with a report of many 10th grade applications having been received since.
According to Decuir, plans for a new satellite middle/high school are in the works, with its prospective site location across the street from its predecessor, and its possible completion date stated as two years, or so, from now.
The satellite school’s curriculum is said by Decuir to be, “Focused on a TOPS (Taylor Opportunity Program for Students) curriculum with a focus then on math and science.”
“And we certainly hope that the community will support us in expanding our mission in offering a high quality education to our students through high school,” she added.
Charter schools are public schools funded by the state, and are open to anyone. However, Glencoe’s charter limits their classroom size to only 20 students per classroom, with two sections for each grade.
Admission is on a first come—first served basis.
“Currently we have students from Glencoe, Franklin, Baldwin, Garden City, Jeanerette, New Iberia, Delcambre and Lafayette,” Decuir said. “We are very proud of the reach we have been gaining.”
She explained that the student body at Glencoe Charter has been determined to be comprised of 85 percent “economically disadvantaged,” with a “culturally diverse” pool of students throughout.
She also said that despite economic challenges affecting the majority of the students in the school, “We actually have the highest A-rating for an elementary/middle school in the three parish area, St. Mary, Iberia, and St. Martin, and we are very proud of that fact.”
She announced that the school had also won “the distinction of Equity Honoree,” a distinction awarded due to the ethnic diversity, economic background, and scores in excess of 90 percent in standard state testing.
The school has also, Decuir said, won the Top Gains Award for exceptional student growth in state testing.
Both awards, she added, are the only ones given by the state regarding standardized testing designations.
To learn more about V. B. Glencoe Charter School, visit: https://www.vbglencoecharter.org/.