SHREVEPORT, La. (KTAL/KMSS) – Caddo Parish School Board Member Christine Tharpe (District 8) announced that the board voted Tuesday to sell the Arthur Circle School in Broadmoor to a developer on behalf of a charter school operator.
Tharpe shared the news on her Facebook page marking the end of two years of meetings and conversations about the best use of the Arthur Circle School.
In September 2021, Tharpe proposed that the district use the space as a truancy center. Tharpe’s original plan was to lease the facility to Volunteers for Youth Justice. Had that plan taken shape, the facility would have become a central location for truant students in the district.
Members of the Broadmoor community pushed back on the idea of a truancy center in an area with minimal truancy reports.
Citizens suggested hiring a land use consultant or selling the property to a real-estate developer. The board was left to decide the most appropriate land use, including whether or not to sell it.
In Tharpe’s announcement Wednesday morning, she posted the following:
Last night, the CPSB members voted to sell Arthur Circle to BFT Development, LLC which is purchasing the school for Louisiana Key Academy (LKA). LKA is a charter school which serves dyslexic students. They do such wonderful work that parents drive from as far away as Lafayette to bring their children to school! I had the opportunity to visit the Baton Rouge campus of LKA last year, was amazed with what I saw and thought it would be the perfect fit for Arthur Circle.
Christine Tharpe
Tharpe went on to thank her fellow school board members and Caddo Parish Schools Superintendent Lamar Goree for coming to a consensus about the best use of the property for families and the Broadmoor neighborhood.
📲 Download the KTAL NBC 6 News app to stay updated on the go.
📧 Sign up for KTAL Breaking News email alerts
💻 Find today’s top stories from Shreveport-Bossier and across the ArkLaTex on KTALNews.com.
The Arthur Circle School property will be sold to BFT Development, LLC. The developer is purchasing the property for Louisiana Key Academy, a public charter school that serves students with dyslexia.
Tharpe said she visited the LKA campus in Baton Rouge and “was amazed” by the learning environment and thought it would be an excellent fit for Arthur Circle.
