Funding fight threatens thousands of Louisiana school choice scholarships

A state budget fight could imperil scholarships for thousands of Louisiana families hoping to take advantage of the state’s new school choice program.

Gov. Jeff Landry proposed $93.5 million for the LA GATOR (Giving All True Opportunity to Rise) scholarship program, which kicks off this fall, but state senators are looking to cut that by nearly half, potentially eliminating 6,000 scholarships.

That threat has elicited a strong response from conservatives and school choice advocates, who have launched a campaign to convince lawmakers not to gut the program.

“Some state senators have grabbed their knives – planning to slash $44 million from Governor Landry’s LA GATOR program, dashing the hopes of 6,000 low-income kids,” says an ad from Club for Growth. 

Senate President Cameron Henry says his chamber will cut the funding to $50 million – an amount that was initially planned. “We originally agreed there would be $50 million, and we’re going to stick with that,” the Metairie Republican told reporters Tuesday. 

School choice has faced a rough road in the Pelican State. Louisiana’s Student Scholarships for Educational Excellence Program was described as “the worst” in the nation for producing lackluster test scores among its participants. 

Lawmakers ended the original program – which placed burdensome restrictions on private schools that kept many of the best ones from participating – and enacted LA GATOR, a broad education savings account program modeled after successful ones in other states. 

Landry, a Republican and strong advocate for GATOR, celebrated the program’s passage and urged families to apply. Nearly 40,000 applications flooded in for approximately 12,000 scholarships that were to be funded this year. 

Students in the outgoing program receive priority for the $7,600 scholarships, followed by those from lower-income families. Of the nearly 35,000 applications that were deemed eligible, 81% were from families earning up to 250% of the federal poverty level, state officials said. 

Landry’s funding request made it through the House but faces a battle in the Senate. 

Henry says he wants to fund students who were already using school choice but slow the expansion, adding that the Senate approved GATOR last year on the condition it would be rolled out cautiously. 

EdChoice, a school choice advocacy organization, and 24 other religious and educational freedom groups have submitted a letter urging lawmakers to preserve the funding. 

“The program’s launch has already seen tremendous enthusiasm, with nearly 40,000 applications,” it says. “This overwhelming demand is a clear sign that Louisiana families are eager for more educational choices and opportunities for their children. 

“The LA GATOR Scholarship Program represents a brighter future for Louisiana’s children – a future where every family has the freedom to choose the best educational path for their child.” 

The Legislature has until June 12 to pass a budget.