By Nolan McKendry | The Center Square
(The Center Square) − A coalition of more than two dozen advocacy organizations is urging Louisiana senators to fully fund the newly approved LA GATOR Scholarship Program, a school choice initiative backed by Gov. Jeff Landry and recently passed by the House of Representatives.
The groups praised lawmakers for taking what they called a “monumental step forward” by advancing the program, which aims to give families publicly funded scholarships to send their children to private schools or other educational alternatives.
Nearly 40,000 families have already applied, according to the letter, signaling high demand in the first year.
While the House kept Landry’s originally proposed $93 million budget for the program intact, Senate President Cameron Henry, R-Metairie, has said that he plans only to fund $50 million. Even with a budget of $93 million, only one-third of voucher applicants would secure a scholarship.
Critics point out that by not funding those students through LA GATOR, they will have to be funded by their public schools.
Further, “dropping down to $50 million means only current voucher students will qualify,” Daniel Erspamer of the Pelican Institute told The Center Square. “Some voucher students are about to graduate, and this would mean no new students entering kindergarten, which would have happened” in the Louisiana Scholarship Program.
LA GATOR replaced the LSP.
Among the signatories were national and state groups including the Pelican Institute, Louisiana Association of Business and Industry, ExcelinEd, the Alliance for Educational Freedom, and the American Legislative Exchange Council.
They urged senators to maintain funding levels in the governor’s budget, saying the program could transform educational access for thousands of Louisiana students.
The letter emphasized that by fully funding the program, legislators would fulfill a promise to families seeking more educational choice and opportunity.