Lusher Lions receive another visit, more inspiration from Drew Brees

After a donation of exercise equipment to the team from the Brees Foundation, the Saints quarterback and ardent Lusher supporter stopped by the school for a training session, our partners at WWL-TV reported. The Brees Foundation previously donated the Lusher High School football field, and last year Brees made a personal visit to encourage the team ahead of their first-ever trip to the state playoffs.

Renovating old NOCCA site proves too pricey for Lusher

Renovating the old New Orleans Center for the Creative Arts school into a third campus has proven too expensive an idea for Lusher Charter School amid the present uncertainty about public school funding, so school officials are restarting their search for a new Uptown location. The low-end estimate of the price to refurbish the old NOCCA buildling on Perrier Street is about $10 million, Lusher CEO Kathy Riedlinger told the school board in a Saturday morning meeting. With her recommendation that the board cease investigating that option, it is effectively of the table, she said afterward. Lusher has added two classes to its kindergarten that are temporarily being taught at the Jewish Community Center, but is searching for a permanent third campus in addition to its elementary school on Willow Street and high school on Freret. Meanwhile, the Orleans Parish School Board was planning to put the NOCCA site up for a second auction after a first round failed to draw a bid that met the state minimum, but Lusher became interested in the property and asked for time to study it.