About Bethune Luminary Academy for Girls, Inc.
Bethune Luminary Academy for Girls, Inc. (BLA) is an incorporated 501(c)(3) single-gender proposed state public charter school model engineered for a comprehensive K–12 continuum serving the Hamden and New Haven corridors. BLA is designed as a healing institution that empowers young women from historically marginalized urban communities to become bold, compassionate, and visionary leaders through culturally responsive education rooted in sisterhood, scholarship, and service.
Our Motto & Core Values
Motto:"Wi power de na wi sense" (Krio, Freetown, Sierra Leone), translated as “Our power lies in our intellect".
Core Values: Empowerment • Excellence • Sisterhood • Equity • Resilience • Service • Illumination
The BLA Genesis Model & Institutional Architecture
BLA addresses systemic educational and wellness disparities by integrating rigorous academic infrastructure directly with a trauma-informed clinical workflow:
Tri-Leadership Governance Model:
Daily campus administration is distributed co-equally across three executive seats—an Operations Lead (J.D./MPA/085), an Instructional Principal (092), and a Licensed Mental Health Lead (LCSW)—to eliminate executive burnout, stabilize operations, and protect institutional focus.
Clinical Diversion Protocol:
Standard punitive discipline systems are eliminated and replaced with an embedded clinical support team operating at an elite 1:24 support staff ratio, converting behavioral disruptions into wellness data and immediate therapeutic interventions.
Evidence-Based Academics:
Early childhood literacy and curriculum are strictly aligned with the Science of Reading framework to build foundational scholarship.
Intentional Growth Footprint:
BLA launches with an initial cohort of 120 future luminaries across kindergarten and 1st grade, scaling annually by 60 students to a peak K–12 capacity of 720 students, with regional expansion centered around 3rd-grade growth parameters.
Meet Our Founder
and
Executive Director
“I am the Girl Grown-Up"
LaShell S. Rountree, MPA, Doctoral Candidate
The Architect of Institutional Healing
LaShell S. Rountree is a first-generation college graduate and visionary executive leader dedicated to dismantling the marginalization of passive learning. A proud daughter of New Haven, Connecticut, she has invested her life's work in creating equitable educational opportunities. With 25 years of leadership experience in the public sector, including over 22 years in operational and instructional design within a nationally recognized charter management organization, she has mastered creating equity-centered systems that transform environments into professional sanctuaries of excellence.
As the architect of Bethune Luminary Academy for Girls, Inc., LaShell leverages her lived experiences to develop a proprietary coaching framework founded on collective efficacy and authoritative accountability. She has successfully coached and developed high-performing teams, empowering them to lead with conviction. Her leadership is underscored by a 110% increase in student enrollment and by her critical role in establishing four distinct school models between 2004 and 2023. These achievements result from an unwavering commitment to providing intensive, high-level support, demonstrating that prioritizing children's best interests is the most effective driver of institutional growth.
A certified School Business Manager (085) currently completing doctoral research in Public Administration, LaShell also served as a certified Administrator (092). She balances a decisive executive approach with a servant-leader mindset, drawing on her academic journey to implement initiatives focused on whole-child healing and institutional design. LaShell S. Rountree is architecting a legacy that empowers every future luminary and the professionals who support them to become the visionary leaders of their own lives.
Make a Donation
Invest in the General Fund
Your contribution directly supports the staging, launch, and long-term operations of Bethune Luminary Academy for Girls, Inc. All gifts enter our centralized General Fund, providing flexible, immediate capital to fund pre-operational staging, technology, and curriculum, support our 1:24 clinical wellness footprint, and secure our permanent K–12 Sanctuary Campus.
Bridge the Whole-Child Funding Delta
In Connecticut, public charter funding leaves an $11,000 per-pupil deficit compared to comprehensive district allocations. Your philanthropic commitment directly bridges this gap, fully insulating our clinical support footprint, mental health interventions, and Science of Reading literacy curricula.
Disrupt Systemic Disparities
Single-gender, trauma-responsive education eliminates disproportionate disciplinary actions that push young women of color out of classrooms. Together, we replace punitive measures with therapeutic wellness solutions, creating equitable pathways for bold, visionary leaders.
Build a Permanent Legacy
Your generosity supports our initial cohort of 120 future luminaries in Kindergarten and 1st grade as we scale toward a 720-student K–12 Sanctuary Campus in the Hamden and New Haven corridors.
"I am the girl—grown up. Your partnership ensures our future luminaries receive the resources, scholarship, and whole-child support they deserve from day one." LaShell Rountree, Founder & Executive Director
Direct Inquiries & Corporate Sponsorships:
Email: lashellrountree@BethuneLuminaryAcademyForGirls.org
Phone: (203) 641-9124
Frequently Asked Questions
Is my investment tax-deductible?
Yes. Bethune Luminary Academy for Girls, Inc. is an incorporated 501(c)(3) public charity (EIN: 41-3011663 | UEI: QVD3M9GLBB27). All contributions are fully tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.
Where does my investment go?
Contributions directly fund our centralized General Fund, supporting pre-operational staging (technology, curriculum, administrative design) and our permanent Sanctuary Campus Capital Fund, ensuring fiscal integrity under federal 2 CFR § 200 standards.
Can I contribute by check or wire transfer?
Yes. Please direct formal financial correspondence and checks payable to Bethune Luminary Academy for Girls, Inc. or reach out to our executive office directly.
Do you accept corporate matching gifts?
Yes. Many employers match donations made to 501(c)(3) organizations. Check with your human resources department to double your impact.