Sister city

St. George, Louisiana is developing a plan to partner with charter school operators to bring new schools into the city, months after voters statewide and in East Baton Rouge Parish rejected a proposal to create a separate public school district there. Mayor Dustin Yates said the city intends to serve as a "community partner" to charter operators, a model he described as the first of its kind in the state, allowing residents more direct input into school operations than a typical charter arrangement.

Yates said the effort predates the May district vote and is meant to add educational choice rather than replace existing options. Under the plan, a local board appointed by the City Council would oversee charter operators, who could use a new building or an existing facility such as the inactive Westminster Elementary. The city would not directly fund the schools but is building recreational facilities intended to help attract operators. Yates hopes to open the first school by fall 2028, pending state approval.