Relatives of Leah Chase said the school named after the late civil rights activist and iconic New Orleans chef should stay open. The Leah Chase School, which opened as New Orleans’ only traditional, district-run school last fall, is facing budget deficits and underenrollment, prompting NOLA Public Schools leadership to question its long-term future.
Verite News spoke with four members of the Chase family, and all of them agreed that they wanted to see the school remain open and operating underneath the district rather than being closed or handed over to a charter operator. Stella Chase Reese, Leah Chase’s daughter, said the decision to let the district use her mother’s name wasn’t made lightly.
“It was the first district-run school in 20 years,” Reese said. “That was a risk. Would my mother take that risk? Yes, she would take that risk.”…