New Orleans Schools Face Closures Amid Enrollment Drop
Superintendent Fateama Fulmore is drafting plans to close, restructure, or consolidate schools as enrollment keeps falling.
Updated on Nov. 10, 2026 in Secondary Education
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New Orleans school enrollment has declined by about 3,500 students since 2020, and Superintendent Fateama Fulmore is drawing up plans to close, restructure, or consolidate schools. The plans will be presented to the school board next month.
Why it matters
The city has more than 3,800 open kindergarten through 8th grade seats and 1,600 open high school seats this school year, while the population of young children has declined. Algiers Charter's plan to close L.B. Landry has already drawn protests from hundreds of alumni and opposition from Rep. Troy Carter.
New Orleans has more than 3,800 open kindergarten through 8th grade seats and another 1,600 open high school seats this school year, against a decline of about 3,500 students since 2020. Enrollment is projected to fall by another 3,800 over the next three years, and the specific schools affected by any closures have not yet been named.
The players
Fateama Fulmore
Fulmore serves as superintendent of NOLA Public Schools and is leading the effort to draft closure, restructuring, and consolidation plans for the district.
Troy Carter
Carter is a U.S. Representative from Louisiana who has publicly opposed Algiers Charter's plan to close L.B. Landry.
Algiers Charter School Association
The Algiers Charter School Association operates L.B. Landry and announced plans to close the school due to declining enrollment.
The details
NOLA PS Superintendent Fateama Fulmore is drawing up plans to close, restructure, or consolidate schools, which will be presented to the school board next month. Separately, Algiers Charter announced plans to close L.B. Landry due to declining enrollment, prompting protests from hundreds of alumni and opposition from Rep. Troy Carter.
Timeline
Enrollment has declined by about 3,500 students since 2020.
This school year, more than 3,800 K-8 seats and 1,600 high school seats are open.
Superintendent Fulmore's closure plans will be presented to the school board next month.
Another 3,800 enrollment drop is anticipated over the next three years.
School applications for the 2027-2028 school year are already open.
Season Trajectory
New Orleans' school system was rebuilt largely through charter schools after Hurricane Katrina in 2005, and the current enrollment decline marks a new phase in that transformation. Consolidation now forces districts and charter operators to decide which campuses can sustain the seats they were built to fill.
Families with children in New Orleans schools face the prospect of their campus closing or merging with another school within the coming year. Parents applying for the 2027-2028 school year should watch for the school board's decisions on which campuses are affected.
The takeaway
Enrollment in New Orleans schools is shrinking faster than the number of seats can adjust, so families weighing options should track the school board's decisions before choosing where to apply.
What happens next
Superintendent Fulmore's closure, restructuring, and consolidation plans will be presented to the school board next month.
Further reading
For broader context on how these changes affect older students, see Secondary Education coverage across the site.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Axios.
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