RESERVE — Louisiana Premier Charter School representatives and St. John the Baptist Parish School Board members had, easily, their most productive back-and-forth dialogue Thursday morning during the Board’s executive committee meeting.

For approximately an hour and 20 minutes, each side spoke in detail about the charter school’s bid to open for the 2019-20 academic year.

The School Board approved an initial agreement last year with Louisiana Premier Charter, clearing the way for the charter school to attempt to open in St. John Parish.

Louisiana Premier Charter must still receive approval from a federal desegregation judge, the Department of Justice and finalize an operating agreement with the School Board.

Officials with the charter school have submitted a lease agreement to open on the Riverside Academy campus in Reserve.

The charter school and Riverside would function independent of each other, according to statements from each institution.

Nothing was finalized this week, but community members looking for a resolution to this multi-year saga have some important dates coming up this month to focus on.

The first comes Tuesday, when the Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE) is scheduled to receive an update on negotiations between the St. John School Board and Louisiana Premier Charter School.

The two entities are operating under a Type 1 agreement, which means there is a limited partnership between the organizations and charter student performance is calculated under broader St. John Public School District measurables.

If negotiations between Louisiana Premier Charter and the School Board break down, the charter school could apply for Type 2 status with BESE, allowing it to operate as an independent entity and accept students that do not live in St. John Parish.

The St. John the Baptist Parish School Board is scheduled to meet again this month — on April 25 — when an agenda item finalizing the charter’s contract with the School Board is expected to be discussed.

If the two sides are unable to reach an agreement April 25, the charter’s potential opening in August and the sides’ negotiating harmony could fall into jeopardy.