Constellations Program Served New Orleans Students
The dedicated facility supports ninety students with autism through specialized educational and sensory services.
Updated on Oct. 13, 2026 in Autism
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As of October 2025, the Constellations program at the Harriet Tubman Park campus provided a specialized learning environment for ninety students. It remains the only publicly funded program in New Orleans designed to serve students with cognitive disabilities in a separate, dedicated setting.
Why it matters
The program addresses service gaps inherent in the decentralized New Orleans school system. By maintaining in-house staffing and transportation, the facility ensures that students with high needs receive consistent care and safety.
The Constellations program currently serves 90 students from pre-k to sixth grade at the Harriet Tubman Park campus. This facility is part of a larger site that serves nearly 500 total students across three distinct programs.
The players
Crescent City Schools
This charter operator manages schools across New Orleans and oversees specialized programs including Constellations and Aurora.
The details
Teachers utilize digital whiteboards and hand-held magnets to deliver lessons tailored for nonverbal students. To prevent elopement, the lobby area is secured with locked double doors, creating a safe environment for those with cognitive disabilities.
Timeline
Crescent City Schools began its operations in 2011.
The charter operator launched its own in-house bus fleet in 2023.
The Constellations program celebrated its one-year anniversary in October 2025.
Health Landscape
The program operates in alignment with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act by providing a localized, dedicated setting for students whose needs are not met in mainstream classrooms. This model marks a shift toward specialized internal charter solutions to address regional service gaps.
Families in the New Orleans area can utilize this program for specialized sensory and educational support that is otherwise unavailable in the standard public school system. Parents benefit from the in-house transportation fleet that manages student travel to and from the campus.
The takeaway
Families with children who have cognitive disabilities require access to specialized, secure learning environments to succeed academically. Dedicated charter programs like Constellations provide a critical support structure in regions where standard school services are decentralized.
Further reading
For more information on local resources, visit New Orleans Autism.
Source note: This article includes information reported by The Lens.
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