Bayou Community Academy

At MAX Charter School, we teach students in Grades 1–8 who have dyslexia, characteristics of dyslexia, or a related learning disorder such as dysgraphia or dyscalculia. Our tuition-free Type 2 public charter school is approved by Louisiana’s Board of Elementary and Secondary Education and is located on the Nicholls State University campus in Thibodaux. Students learn in small groups, where teachers can differentiate instruction and respond to individual learning needs. Our multisensory programs support students with dyslexia and language-related learning differences. Faculty receive training in Language Science and Project Read, and we continue staff development in those approaches. Families who are considering MAX can ask how instruction and support are planned for a student’s specific learning profile. Learning at MAX includes more than classroom academics. Students take part in character building, art, music, drama, and physical fitness as part of the school’s broader program. We are a nonprofit, coeducational school, and our programs are designed around the needs of the students we serve rather than a single approach for everyone. Our admissions process includes an application and lottery, and the school currently maintains grade-level waitlists. A waitlist does not carry over automatically to the next school year, so families need to reapply if they remain interested. MAX is at 100 Afton Drive, between Family Housing and Babington Hall on the Nicholls campus. We welcome questions about eligibility, the application process, and whether our Grades 1–8 program may fit a child with dyslexia or a related learning disorder.

Virtual Academy of Lafourche opened in 2012 to give Lafourche Parish students in kindergarten through 12th grade a blended option. Lessons are completed partly online and partly onsite at an assigned VAL site, where a certified Educational Consultant works with each student on academic work, and parents and guardians provide support at home. Our Thibodaux site has separate site managers for grades K to 4, 5 to 8, and 9 to 12. Students also receive the services found in traditional schools, including tutoring, student health services, computer support, and counseling, and we have a designated 504 coordinator. High school students get guidance on Louisiana TOPS scholarship course requirements, can apply for dual enrollment through Fletcher and NSU, and can recover credits and grades through Acellus and Edgenuity.

A Different World Academy opened in 2003 in Marrero with 10 students, including our founders' two daughters, and today serves kindergarten through 12th grade from our campus on Bellemeade Boulevard in Gretna. We call our model a Homeschool Away from Home: a Christian private school with live, traditional classroom instruction using the Abeka curriculum, combined with computer instruction. Classes are small, and we offer one-on-one student-teacher instruction, individual assessments, annual testing and AP courses. We serve gifted and talented students and students on the autism spectrum, and IEPs are welcome. A year-round program lets students who are a grade or two behind catch up and graduate on time, and we offer after-school tutoring and grade-level testing. We are accredited by the National Association of Private Schools. Each summer we run a day camp at $60 a week with academic enrichment, field trips, science dissection, music and dance, arts and crafts, and breakfast and lunch included. Our graduates have gone on to colleges, universities and the military.