Assessor Erroll G. Williams is reminding property owners in Orleans Parish to apply for or make sure their Homestead Exemption, or special assessment due to age, disability or military service is up to date before Friday, November 18.
            The Homestead Exemption or any other special assessment should have been noted on the Property Assessment letter when the property owner received that letter the Assessor’s Office in July or August.
            Detailed information is available at the website www.nolaassessor.com.
 
THE HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION
            Every homeowner in Orleans Parish is able to claim an exemption from property taxes for the first $75,000 of value of their “domicile” or the home they occupy as their primary residence. The Homestead Exemption is permanent for as long as the individual owns and resides at that property in Orleans Parish.
            Once you successfully apply for the Homestead Exemption, you do not need to reapply as long as your domicile remains the same.
 
HOW TO FILE FOR A HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION
To claim a Homestead Exemption, a person must appear in person at the Assessor’s Office and present the following:
1.     Proof of ownership (Act of Sale or Warranty Deed); 
2.     A valid Louisiana Driver’s License or Louisiana State I.D. (address must correspond to property’s address on application); 
3.     A current unpaid Entergy bill for the property, with service location and mailing address being the same, showing standard residential usage; OR 
4.     A landline telephone bill or cable bill (Direct, Dish or Cox). 
The office does not accept Sewerage & Water Board bills as proof of residency. 
 
SPECIAL ASSESSMENT LEVEL (SAL)
            Homeowners who are 65 years of age or older, have a permanent disability, or the documented surviving spouse of a member of the armed forces or the Louisiana National Guard killed in action, missing in action, or a prisoner of war may qualify for a Special Assessment Level (SAL). The SAL places a freeze on the property’s assessed value, even though the appraised value may continue to fluctuate with the market.
            SALs are permanent except for the disability freeze, which must be applied for annually. 
 
HOW TO FILE FOR 100 PERCENT DISABLED VETERANS 
EXEMPTION 
To claim a Homestead Exemption for a 100 percent Disabled Veteran, the following must be presented: 
1.     Proof of ownership (Act of Sale or Warranty Deed); 
2.     Proof owner qualified for the current year’s Homestead Exemption; 
3.     A valid Louisiana Driver’s License or Louisiana State I.D. (address must correspond to property’s address on application); 
4.     A current unpaid Entergy bill for the property, with service location and mailing address being the same, showing standard residential usage; 
5.     A letter from the Veterans Administration (VA) which states the veteran owner is 100 percent disabled. 
 
HOW TO QUALIFY FOR AN AGE FREEZE 
To qualify for an age-freeze, the homeowner must be at least 65 by August 1st in the year preceding the year the freeze goes into effect and meet certain income restrictions. The maximum qualifying income changes annually; please call 504.658-1300 to verify the current maximum. Once successfully gained, this SAL is permanent and you do not need to reapply for it on an annual basis. Age-related abatements or “freezes” must be documented by: 
1.     A valid Louisiana Driver’s License or Louisiana State I.D. (address must correspond to property’s address on application); 
2.     Proof of annual income: 1040 adjusted gross income of prior year’s income tax return. 
 
HOW TO QUALIFY FOR A DISABILITY FREEZE 
Disability SAL must be reapplied for annually. The Orleans Parish Assessor is asking the Louisiana Legislature to make this exemption permanent, but this approval has not been granted as of Summer, 2014. This special assessment is not to be confused with the 100 percent Veterans Disability. Disability-related abatements or “freezes” must be documented by: 
1.     A valid Louisiana Driver’s License or Louisiana State I.D. (address must correspond to property’s address on application); 
2.     A letter from a federal or state agency confirming the total disability; OR 
3.     A service-connected disability of 50 percent or more with a Veterans Administration (VA) letter of determination or notice of award; and 
4.     Proof of annual income: 1040 adjusted gross income of prior year’s income tax return. 
 
Property owners may visit either the east bank offices at City Hall, 1300 Perdido St., Fourth Floor, or the west bank office at Algiers Courthouse, 225 Morgan St., weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. The Assessor reminds the public that it is now a punishable crime according to state law to claim more than one homestead exemption.
 

New Orleans Charter Science and Math High School “Sci High” will hold an Open House for parents and prospective students on Thursday, November 3 from 5:00-7:00p.m. at its campus at 5625 Loyola Ave. in Uptown New Orleans.

Parents and students are invited to learn more about Sci High, tour the campus and meet the faculty and staff.  

Lusher Charter School, an “A” rated school and the highest performing K-12th grade public school in the state, located in Uptown New Orleans, will host open houses for prospective students and their parents to highlight its K-12 arts-integration, inquiry-based approach to education.
 
Lower School Open House for incoming Kindergarten students will be held on Wednesday, November 16 at 9:00 am at the Lower School Campus at 7315 Willow St. Open House for grades 1-5 will be held on Wednesday, November 2, 9:00 am at the Lower School. Contact Becky Bell at (504) 593-8275 for information about the Lower School.

On Friday, November 11, 10:30am at the North Course at City Park, 1051 Filmore Ave. in New Orleans, Warren Easton Charter High School will hold its annual golf tournament to benefit the Warren Easton Foundation and Hall of Fame Scholarship Fund, which awards college scholarships to graduating seniors.

Registration begins at 10:30am with a Putting Contest at 11:00am and a Shotgun Start at 12:00 noon.

Warren Easton Charter High School and Mayor Mitch Landrieu will dedicate its new Legacy Field on Friday, October 21, 9:45am at Warren Easton, 3019 Canal St. in Mid-City. Easton’s marching band will perform and a reception will follow.
 
Easton acquired the full block of land next door to its current campus in October 2015. Easton plans on using the area for much needed new green space for its students and for sports practice, band practice, physical education and sports training.
 
“We are so thrilled to have this green space for our students,” said Chief Executive Officer Alexina Medley.  “Our children deserve a beautiful space to play sports or just be outside on campus.  This is a major step forward for Easton and we are lucky to have this opportunity to expand our historical campus.”
 
Easton previously had to rent offsite practice fields and bus children to the locations for any practice requiring green space.  Now baseball, football, band, spirit groups, softball, and track practice can be held on campus, offering major convenience and saving costs.
 
Warren Easton is raising funds to complete the development of the field. Donors who have contributed so far to the acquisition and development of the field are the Orleans Parish School Board, Sandra Bullock, and the Laura and Sammy Zito Foundation. Donors wishing to contribute to this capital campaign can contact Regina Wilkins at: regina_wilkins@opsb.us.​

Nearly one-third of all school-aged children are bullied at school, but those who have experienced or witnessed this phenomenon have found safe haven in their online K-12 classroom experience.
           
“Many parents and students choose Louisiana Connections Academy specifically to overcome bullying,” said High School Principal Shuanessy Matthews. “We are open to any family who needs to switch to a safer environment at any grade.”

According to Principal Matthews, attending school from home enables the student to focus completely on learning without the fear of intimidation, embarrassment, or injury. Virtual school also can offer kids safe, supervised ways to socialize both online and in-person—through clubs, activities, and field trips.

Connections Community Liaison Shelly Centanni said the normal school year for a virtual student is filled with field trips, just like any traditional school. High school students also attend proms.

The International School of Louisiana (ISL) will hold Open Houses for parents and prospective students at its Jefferson, Uptown, and Westbank Campuses on Saturday, October 29 at 9am. Interested parents are invited to visit the school and learn about ISL’s unique and high quality language immersion education. ISL’s Uptown and Westbank Campuses are open to any resident living in the state of Louisiana and the Jefferson Campus is open to Jefferson Parish residents only.
 
LANGUAGE IMMERSION IN ACTION: The school is also hosting official Campus Tours on a variety of dates throughout the school year to allow parents to experience language immersion while classes are in session and to help accommodate prospective families. Please check the website for details www.isl-edu.org , email admissions@isl-edu.org or call (504) 229-4391.

On Thursday, October 20, at 3:45pm, at Morris Jeff Community School, Young Audiences of Louisiana will join the 17th annual Lights On Afterschool, a nationwide series of rallies for afterschool organized by the Afterschool Alliance.    

The Lights On Afterschool Young Audiences of Louisiana performance will feature Topsy Chapman and Solid Harmony to entertain and educate the afterschool program at Morris Jeff Community School. Students from kindergarten to 7th grade who attend the afterschool program will be invited to hear internationally-renowned singer, Topsy Chapman’s enchanting voice as she performs traditional and modern jazz, as well as African American and traditional gospel songs. Ms. Chapman grew up in Kentwood, Louisiana and started developing her gospel group in New Orleans at an early age. She has performed on Broadway, across Europe, in Asia, and throughout Australia. She has been the featured talent to perform for the Democratic Party, the Queen of England, and the Duke of Edinburgh. We are excited to have her now perform for the students in her home-state of Louisiana. Students and teaching artists of the afterschool program as well as parents of students in the program are welcome in the audience.

Audubon Charter School, a top performing, “A” rated New Orleans public school, announces its 2016 Open Houses for parents and prospective students in grades PK3 through 8th.
           
Audubon Charter School’s Lower School Open Houses (grades PK3-3) will take place on October 25, November 15, and December 6 at 9:00 a.m. at its Lower Campus at 428 Broadway St., New Orleans, LA 70118, phone (504) 324-7100.
           
Audubon’s Upper School Open Houses (grades 4-8) will take place on October 27 and December 8 at 9:00 a.m. at its Upper Campus at 1111 Milan St., New Orleans, LA 70115, phone (504) 324-7110.