La. GATOR School Voucher Bill: An Escape from Accountability

Louisiana HB 745, “LA GATOR Scholarship Program; Creation and Administration,” is on the La. senate education committee‘s legislative agenda for Tuesday, March 26, 2024, at 9 a.m.

From the Louisiana School Boards Association:

For Immediate Release
March 21, 2024

                        Contact:  Dr. Janet Pope – jpope@lsba.com
                                       Louisiana School Boards Association
 

THE LA GATOR SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM USES TAXPAYER DOLLARS WITHOUT ACCOUNTABILITY, STANDARDS, OR SPECIAL EDUCATION SERVICES

Baton Rouge, LA – The proposed LA GATOR Scholarship Program, as created in HB 745, provides for universal education savings accounts (ESAs) and will spend taxpayer dollars without the accountability demanded of public schools, without any requirement to teach the state content standards demanded of public schools, and without providing special education services to students who need and are entitled to those services under federal law. 

ACCOUNTABILITY
Public school students must take state-mandated standardized tests in Math, English, Science and Social Studies every year in grades 3-8; must pass six end-of-course exams in English I, English II, Algebra, Geometry, Civics, and Biology; and must take the ACT. All of these test results are factored into public school accountability scores and letter grades.  LA GATOR students will not be required to take any of these mandated standardized tests and will be judged on a yet to be determined standard, which will prevent any valid comparison between the quality of public education and LA GATOR funded education. 

STATE CONTENT STANDARDS
Public schools are required to teach state content standards adopted by BESE for every core academic subject in every grade. LA GATOR schools and providers are not obligated to teach the state content standards and are to be provided “maximum freedom to provide for the educational needs of participating student without government control”.  State content standards are BESE approved public policy, setting the bar for what students should learn and know. However, that public policy shall not be applied to LA GATOR funded students. 

SPECIAL EDUCATION 
Public schools are required under federal and state law to provide necessary special education services and accommodations to special education students and are subject to federal court orders and state sanctions if those services and accommodations are not provided. LA GATOR schools and providers will not be required to provide special education services and parents will be mandated to formally waive the services to which their children are entitled as a condition of their child’s eligibility to receive a LA GATOR ESA.  Students who need special education services will effectively be excluded from the LA GATOR program. 

It is wrong to spend public taxpayer dollars for nonpublic education without valid accountability. It is wrong to spend public taxpayer dollars without requiring the teaching of state-mandated educational content standards. It is wrong to exclude special education students by forcing them to waive the services they need and to which they are entitled in order to participate in a publicly-funded educational program. 

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ABOUT LSBA
Formed in 1938, the LSBA is a non-profit organization that serves as a resource for public school boards across Louisiana. Our mission is leadership, service, and support for school boards and advocating for all students with a collective voice.

Below is a call to action by the Louisiana Association of Principals, as forwarded to me by a Louisiana principal:

Louisiana Administrators;

Principals from LAP recently attended the National Advocacy Conference where we had time to visit with Principals from other states.  We spoke with Arizona principals specifically about how ESA’s are affecting their schools.  ESA’s (Educational Savings Accounts) are being brought to the legislature in the form of a bill by Senator Rick Edmonds (R).  The bill creates the LA GATOR Program.  It would allow MFP money to follow the student from their zone school to any non-public, private, charter, or home school with no accountability to follow the money.  LAP is asking you to copy and paste the email below to send to your local representatives and senators.

The Louisiana Association of Principals takes the following stand on the LA GATOR Program.  We believe that any ESA’s (Educational Savings Accounts) should include the following:

· There needs to be a cap on the amount of income a family makes before they can accept an ESA.  Arizona and many other states have found that over 80% of ESA’s are going to parents who already have their children at non-public schools.  

· Schools and parents that accept ESA’s should provide assessment tools to students to show growth.  These assessments need to be BESE approved, be consistent across all schools, and provide an accurate amount of growth as the child attends the school.

· Money should be allocated properly to fund these ESA’s.  Arizona has found in the last two years they have not done this.  Originally the Arizona legislation provided for $200,000,000 to fund ESA’s.  It has cost them over $1 Billion dollars in two years.  We should plan for this cost in the budget. 

-There is concern if students will be allowed to leave their zone public school to attend another public school.  How will this affect athletics and LHSAA rules on participation in athletic events? 

· Finally there should be a plan for part of the money to return to the zone school if the child should return.  Prorated amounts could be determined monthly for the students’ return to public school.

On March 04, 2024, I wrote about Ohio’s school voucher program, expanded grossly beyond its funding– $15M over budget by November 2023– and providing an opportunity for private school officials to pressure private school parents to apply for (and rake in) as much taxpayer money as possible.

School vouchers steer public money away from public schools even as the private schools receiving public money are not required to meet the same standards or offer services to serve all students.

Louisiana school vouchers have been around– and have been a flop— for years. Even still, the most conservative politicians just can’t seem to shake the desire to move public funds away from public education.

Louisiana legislator lookup link.

Louisiana House of Representatives contact info.

Louisiana Senate contact info.

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