NOLA Public Schools (NOLA-PS) stands apart from traditional American public school districts as a system that gives schools the flexibility to set their own educational models, hire their educators, and be innovative to best develop the whole child, academically, socially, and emotionally.
It is built on three tiers:

I. The Orleans Parish School Board (OPSB), comprised of duly elected officials who represent seven geographic areas, set policy and approve the annual District budget to best position our community of schools to provide high quality education for all students. Its members receive and respond to public input as they consider new ways to improve the care of students and make available new resources for educators. They also choose and oversee the Superintendent of Schools as their sole employee.

II. The Central Office is comprised of centralized staff hired and managed by the Superintendent of Schools. This team is responsible for carrying out OPSB policies, holding schools to high, consistent standards, and providing support services for systemwide initiatives, such as Early Childhood programs and Child Nutrition programs. It also identifies and manages systemwide resources to aid its school community, including the System Wide Needs Program (SWNP), Special Education, and state and federal education grants. The Central Office owns and manages almost 100 school buildings and facilities across the City that house schools or support services.

III. Our schools are the heart of New Orleans’ public education system. We have educational organizations that run single-site schools, as well as organizations that manage networks of schools across the city. No network can oversee more than 15 percent of the District’s total students, a policy that champions a diversity of education models available to families. These school organizations are under contractual agreements with the OPSB that are reviewed every 3, 5, 7, or 10 years, depending on their performance. For more information, visit our  School Accountability section.

This flexible structure is the true power of this school system model. When schools or networks strike upon a new, effective approach to teaching, the Central Office and the OPSB will look to replicate that success across New Orleans’ public schools. This allows schools to learn from each other, just as our students do every day in our classrooms.

BESE Schools
Several additional public schools in New Orleans participate in the NOLA-PS Common Application Process (NCAP), but they are directly governed by the Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education.   Please review the 2021-2022 Governance chart, provided through our proud partnership with the Cowen Institute at Tulane University.