The recently closed Franciscan High School may soon be replaced by another school, according to a permit filed with the city-parish.
Helix Mentorship STEAM Academy has filed an occupancy permit for Franciscan, which is located on the former site of Redemptorist High School’s campus on St. Gerard Avenue. The permit states the now-shuttered school is “changing ownership.”
Helix employs a four-day workweek when school is not in session, so its staff could not be reached today for comment. But the permit lists Mentorship Academy as the applicant, and includes the organization’s address on Florida Boulevard as well as the name Tressella Thomas, which is also the name of Helix’s office manager, according to the school’s website.
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Franciscan High School operated from 2016 until June 2, which was the final day of its 2022-2023 school year. Franciscan’s voicemail greeting states that it ceased all operations as of today, June 30.
Franciscan was a member of the Cristo Rey school network from 2016 to 2022, operating under the name Cristo Rey Baton Rouge. Last year, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Baton Rouge announced it did not renew the school’s membership in the Cristo Rey network due to disagreements about what constituted successful outcomes for its students and alumni.
This story originally appeared in a June 30 issue of Daily Report. To keep up with Baton Rouge business and politics, subscribe to the free Daily Report e-newsletter here.