The Recovery School District (RSD) was created by Louisiana legislators in 2003 for the purpose of transforming schools with a history of failure by placing them under state control and oversight. The RSD's scope was expanded in 2005 to allow it to take over the lowest performing schools in Louisiana. This had its most profound impact on New Orleans, which, at the time, was one of the lowest performing school districts in the state. The RSD assumed responsibility for the majority of city schools, leaving only the highest-performing under the local control of the Orleans Parish School Board (OPSB). The RSD subsequently turned over operations of all schools under its purview to independent charter school operators. According to policy set forth and approved by the Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE), charter schools can return to Orleans Parish School Board (OSPB) governance a er a minimum of five years with the RSD providing specific performance measures are met.1 In 2015, the first eligible school decided to return from the RSD to OPSB. In the 2015-16 school year, all 52 RSD schools in New Orleans operated as Type 5 charter schools, of which 33 were currently eligible to return. All Type 5 schools operate as their own Local Education Agency (LEA). While it holds special meaning under federal and state policy, LEA is o en used as a synonym for a school district. LEAs have the authority to apply for grants and other funds, while a traditional school district allocates these funds to schools. LEAs are also responsible for ensuring compliance with special education requirements. It is important to note that Type 5 charter schools operate as their own LEAs, regardless of their status as a single-site operator or one of many schools that operate as part of a Charter Management Organization (CMO). As schools begin to return to the OPSB, a crucial decision for school leaders and charter boards is whether each school retain its own LEA, or instead join the LEA of OPSB. This brief discusses why this decision is so important, and what financial and operational implications ought to be considered.