BATON ROUGE - The U.S. Department of Education awarded Helix Community Schools $7.1 million as part of its Charter Schools Program grant.

Helix said the money will help transform Baker High School and Park Ridge Achievement Academy into Type 3 charter schools following their recent transition into Helix FinTech and Performing Arts Academies.

"It represents a significant milestone for us, one that reflects both the importance of our mission and the confidence our supporters have in our ability to drive meaningful change," Helix said in a Friday news release. 

The grant will also help create grades K-5 at Helix Mentorship and Maritime Academy, Helix's flagship campus, where students learn about the maritime industry, making it a full K-12 school.