"Putting Scholars First!"
January 6, 2020

Contact: Virginia Miller
504-453-4874

For Immediate Release
This Fall, Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Henderson Lewis, recommended that
Mary D. Coghill’s current charter not be renewed. On December 19, 2019.
The Orleans Parish School Board voted 4-2 in favor of keeping the Coghill
Board running the school, thereby rejecting Dr. Lewis’ recommendation.
The Board of Coghill has sent a demand letter to Dr. Henderson and the
Orleans Parish School Board specifically demanding that Dr. Lewis withdraw
his recommendation to not renew the Coghill charter or, in the alternative, to
demand the Orleans Parish School Board recognize the validity of its majority
vote in favor of Coghill, in accordance with applicable laws. The Board of
Mary D. Coghill is aggressively defending its right to maintain this charter
and to continue the many successful initiatives that have made Mary D.
Coghill a successful school under the School’s Board of Directors and its new
dynamic leadership.
The Board of Better Choice Foundation, which holds the charter for Mary D.
Coghill School, has issued a formal demand to the Orleans Parish School
Board to honor the public vote they took on December 19. This vote, which
followed the OPSB’s assertion at an open public meeting that they had a
quorum. With 6 of 7 members present, the board voted 4-2 in favor of Better
Choice Foundation and Mary D. Coghill School. This vote represented both a
majority and 2/3 of those present.
Rather than reaching out to Better Choice Foundation or Coghill leadership to
discuss the implications of his decision to override this proper and public
vote, Superintendent Lewis directly contacted Coghill parents to alert them
to his decision to turn the school over to OPSB to run. He did this over the
Christmas holiday, a time when many families are under immense financial
stress as it is, and added undue emotional stress to our community. This
disregard for our community, our families and our students is unacceptable.