NEW ORLEANS - A think tank studying New Orleans public schools says the city's school board faces challenges as it prepares to take back governance of close to 50 schools from the state.

All of those schools are now operated by independent charter organizations. And Tulane University's Cowen Institute says the New Orleans school board will assume the "vital responsibility" of ensuring that the charter organizations comply with state requirements on academic standards, finances and serving special-needs students.

The Cowen Institute began researching education issues in New Orleans after the state took over dozens of public schools following Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Its annual report on the state of those schools was issued Wednesday.

State lawmakers last year voted to return governance of the schools to the school board as early as 2018.