School choice in Louisiana

in  Louisiana

* Fiscal
* Budgets
* Louisiana state budget and finances
* Tax policy in Louisiana
* Finance
* Financial regulation in Louisiana
* Pensions
* Public pensions in Louisiana
* Pension health in Louisiana
* Civil liberties
* Affirmative action in Louisiana
* Campaign finance requirements in Louisiana
* Campaign finance requirements for Louisiana ballot measures
* Nonprofit regulation in Louisiana
* Education
* Charter schools in Louisiana
* Higher education in Louisiana
* Public education in Louisiana
* School choice in Louisiana
* Elections
* Ballot access
* Ballot access requirements for political candidates in Louisiana
* Ballot access requirements for political parties in Louisiana
* Political parties in Louisiana
* Ballot access requirements for presidential candidates in Louisiana
* Redistricting in Louisiana
* Voting in Louisiana
* Energy and Environment
* Energy policy in Louisiana
* Fracking in Louisiana
* Oil and gas extraction on federal land in Louisiana
* Endangered species in Louisiana
* Environmental policy in Louisiana
* Healthcare
* Healthcare policy in Louisiana
* Medicaid spending in Louisiana
* Effect of the Affordable Care Act in Louisiana
* Immigration
* Immigration in Louisiana

* * *

This article does not contain the most recently published data on this subject. If you would like to help our coverage grow, consider donating to Ballotpedia.

* * *

School choice

* * *

School choice in the U.S.
Education policy in the U.S.
Public education in the U.S
Education statistics
Higher education by state

* * *

School board elections portal
Glossary of education terms
School choice on the ballot
Education on the ballot

Note: If you notice an an error, please contact us.

## Contents

* 1 Educational choice options
* 1.1 Charter schools
* 1.2 Magnet schools
* 1.3 Open enrollment policies
* 1.4 Private schools
* 1.5 Homeschooling
* 1.6 Online learning
* 2 Financial assistance
* 2.1 School vouchers
* 2.2 Tax credits
* 2.3 Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue (2020)
* 3 Studies and reports
* 3.1 Friedman Foundation for Educational Choice
* 4 School choice ballot measures
* 5 School choice legislation
* 6 Recent news
* 7 See also
* 8 External links
* 9 Footnotes

School choice is a term that refers to programs offering alternatives to assigned local public school options. Public school choice options include open enrollment policies, magnet schools, and charter schools. Other options include school vouchers, scholarship tax credits, and education savings accounts (ESAs).[1][2]

HIGHLIGHTS

* According to the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, a charter school advocacy group, there were an estimated 143 total charter schools in Louisiana in the 2015-2016 school year. These schools enrolled approximately 80,100 students.

* In Louisiana, 129,720 students were enrolled in 420 private schools in fall 2013, accounting for roughly 16.11 percent of the state's total school-age population.

* Louisiana sponsors two school voucher programs, one for students with disabilities and one for low-income students. These programs provide families with funds to send their children to private schools instead of public schools.

Proponents argue that school choice programs improve educational outcomes by expanding opportunity and access for historically disadvantaged students. In addition, advocates claim that school choice programs empower parents and improve traditional public schools through competition. Critics contend that these programs divert funds from traditional public schools, thereby compounding problems at failing public schools and generating unequal outcomes for students. In addition, some critics argue that school voucher programs wrongly direct tax dollars to religious organizations, which operate many private schools.

## Educational choice options[edit]

See also: Number of schools by school type in the United States

### Charter schools[edit]

See also: Charter schools in Louisiana

Charter schools are public schools operated independently of the public school system, either by nonprofit or for-profit organizations. Although they are publicly funded, charter schools are exempt from many of the requirements imposed by state and local boards of education regarding hiring and curriculum. As public schools, charter schools cannot charge tuition or impose special entrance requirements; students are typically admitted through a lottery process if demand exceeds the number of spaces available in a school. Generally speaking, charter schools receive a percentage of per-pupil funds from state and local boards of education for operational costs based on enrollment. In most states, they do not receive funds for facilities or start-up costs; therefore, they must rely to some extent on private donations. The federal government also provides revenues through special grants.[3][4][5]

According to the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, a charter school advocacy group, there were an estimated 143 total charter schools in Louisiana in the 2015-2016 school year. These schools enrolled approximately 80,100 students. Overall, charter school students accounted for 11.21 percent of total public school enrollment in Louisiana in 2015.[6]

Charter schools, 2015-2016

State  | Total number of charter schools  | Estimated enrollment  | Percentage of total public school enrollment
Louisiana | 143 | 80,100 | 11.21%
Alabama | 0 | 0 | 0.00%
Arkansas | 50 | 23,700 | 4.92%
Mississippi | 2 | 200 | 0.04%
United States total | 6,824 | 2,930,600 | 5.85%
Note: The percentages in the column labeled "Percentage of total public school enrollment" were calculated by taking the estimated number of charter school students in a given state and dividing by the total estimated number of public school students in that state in 2015. Total public school enrollment estimates came from the National Center for Education Statistics.
Source: National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, "A Closer Look at the Charter School Movement," February 3, 2016

### Magnet schools[edit]

See also: Magnet school participation statistics

Magnet schools, or theme-based schools, are public schools of choice that utilize specialized subject areas or innovative learning approaches to attract students from more diverse backgrounds. Magnet schools were first formed to desegregate public schools through choice rather than force. Magnet schools can reach beyond the boundaries of school districts, but they are still managed and funded publicly by local districts even though they are centered around specialized themes and subjects.[7][8]

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, there were 3,254 magnet schools in the United States in the 2013-2014 school year, 78 of which were in Louisiana. According to Public School Review, those 78 magnet schools served 44,977 students in Louisiana, 68 percent of whom were racial/ethnic minorities. The average student-teacher ratio in Louisiana's magnet schools was 16:1. The table below presents this information for Louisiana and surrounding states.[9][10]

Magnet schools, 2013-2014

State  | Number of magnet schools  | Total enrollment  | Minority enrollment percentage  | Student-teacher ratio
Louisiana | 78 | 44,977 | 68% | 16:1
Alabama | 42 | 20,709 | 66% | 17:1
Arkansas | 33 | 17,852 | 66% | 14:1
Mississippi | 25 | 7,422 | 82% | 15:1
United States total | 3,254 | 2,549,825 | N/A | N/A
Note: "N/A" indicates that information was not available, either because the state does not have magnet schools or because the data were not reported.
Source: Public School Review, "Find Public Schools," accessed May 24, 2016

### Open enrollment policies[edit]

According to the Education Commission of the States, there are two primary types of open enrollment policies:[11]

1. Under intra-district enrollment policies, students may transfer to schools within their home districts.
2. Under inter-district enrollment policies, students may transfer to schools outside of their home districts.

Open enrollment policies may be either mandatory or voluntary. Under mandatory programs, districts must allow for open enrollment. Under voluntary programs, districts may choose whether to allow for open enrollment.[11]

Louisiana enforces both mandatory and voluntary intra-district and inter-district open enrollment policies.[11]

### Private schools[edit]

Private schools are operated by private organizations as opposed to government entities. Private schools typically rely on tuition, private grants, and donations for funding. Because private schools are not operated or funded directly by government entities, they may operate under different personnel and curricular standards. Private schools are often associated with religious institutions. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, there were 5,395,740 students enrolled in 33,620 private schools nationwide in fall 2013. This accounted for approximately 10 percent of the total school-age population.[12][13]

In Louisiana, 129,720 students were enrolled in 420 private schools in fall 2013, accounting for roughly 16.11 percent of the state's total school-age population. The table below presents this information for Louisiana and surrounding states.

Private schools, fall 2013

State  | Number of private schools  | Enrollment  | Enrollment as a percentage of total school-age population
Louisiana | 420 | 129,720 | 16.11%
Alabama | 400 | 76,400 | 9.39%
Arkansas | 190 | 30,340 | 5.87%
Mississippi | 310 | 50,330 | 9.34%
United States total | 33,620 | 5,395,740 | 10.04%
Note: The column labeled "Enrollment as a percentage of total school-age population" was calculated by taking the total private school enrollment in a given state and dividing by the total school-age population of that state. Figures for total school-age population were obtained from the National Center for Education Statistics.
Sources: National Center for Education Statistics, "Table 101.40. Estimated total and school-age resident populations, by state: Selected years, 1970 through 2014," accessed May 24, 2016
National Center for Education Statistics, "Table 205.80. Private elementary and secondary schools, enrollment, teachers, and high school graduates, by state: Selected years, 2003 through 2013," accessed May 24, 2016

### Homeschooling[edit]

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, there were approximately 1.7 million homeschooled students in the United States as of 2012. This accounted for roughly 3.4 percent of the total school-age population.[14][15]

According to the Home School Legal Defense Association, there are two homeschooling options in Louisiana: homeschooling as a home study program and homeschooling as a home-based private school. Requirements for each of these methods are detailed at this website.[16]

### Online learning[edit]

See also: Blended learning

According to the Evergreen Education Group, 24 states operated state virtual schools in the 2014-2015 school year. State virtual schools are "operational intermediate supplier organizations that provide online learning programs to schools statewide." State virtual schools are created by legislative or state agency action and are "usually funded in part or entirely by a state appropriation or grant." As of the 2014-2015 school year, Louisiana did not have a state virtual school.[17]

According to the Center for Education Reform, Louisiana was home to two virtual charter schools as of May 2016. For a complete listing of these schools, visit this website.[18][19]

## Financial assistance[edit]

### School vouchers[edit]

See also: School vouchers

Jesuit High School, a private Catholic school in New Orleans

School vouchers are government-funded scholarships that allow public school students to attend private schools. Vouchers redirect state per-pupil education funding, giving it directly to individual families instead of school districts. Families can then apply those funds to tuition costs at the private school of their choice. As of April 2016, 13 states and the District of Columbia had implemented school voucher programs.[20]

Louisiana sponsors two school voucher programs:

1. School Choice Program for Certain Students with Exceptionalities: Under this program, students with special needs who live in certain eligible parishes may be given vouchers to attend schools of their parents' choosing that provide educational services targeted to the students' needs. In the 2015-2016 school year, there were 342 participating students. The average voucher value was $2,264.[21]
2. Louisiana Scholarship Program: Under this program, low-income students in low-performing schools may be eligible for vouchers that can be used to pay for private school tuition. In the 2015-2016 school year, there were 7,110 participating students. The average voucher value was $5,856.[22]

### Tax credits[edit]

Louisiana offers two school choice tax credits:

1. Tuition Donation Rebate Program: State taxpayers can receive tax rebates for donations made to School Tuition Organizations (STOs), which are nonprofit organizations that grant scholarships for private school tuition.[23]
2. Elementary and Secondary School Tuition Deduction: Louisiana allows individuals to deduct educational expenses (including private school and university-led "lab school" tuition and fees) from their income taxes.[24]

### Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue (2020)[edit]

Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue

* * *

Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue
Media coverage and commentary
U.S. Supreme Court 2019-2020 term

* * *

Blaine Amendment (U.S. Constitution)
Blaine amendments in state constitutions

* * *

School choice on the ballot
Education on the ballot

See also: Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue

On June 30, 2020, the U.S. Supreme Court decided Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue, which concerned whether the government can exclude religious institutions from student-aid programs. The case related to Article X, Section 6 of the Montana Constitution, also known as Montana’s Blaine Amendment.[25]

In its 5-4 opinion, the court held that the application of Article X, Section 6 violated the free exercise clause of the U.S. Constitution. The majority held Article X, Section 6 barred religious schools and parents who wished to send their children to those schools from receiving public benefits because of the religious character of the school.[26]

The case addressed the tension between the free exercise and Establishment clauses of the U.S. Constitution--where one guarantees the right of individuals' free exercise of religion and the other guarantees that the state won't establish a religion--and the intersections of state constitutions with state law and with the U.S. Constitution.

Louisiana is not one of the states with a Blaine Amendment.

## Studies and reports[edit]

Friedman Foundation for Educational Choice

### Friedman Foundation for Educational Choice[edit]

In January 2016, the Friedman Foundation for Educational Choice released a report ranking school choice programs across the nation by participation. Louisiana's Elementary and Secondary School Tuition Deduction ranked fourth nationwide; the deduction was claimed on 106,549 tax returns. The Louisiana Scholarship Program ranked 22nd, with 7,110 participating students. Louisiana's Tuition Donation Rebate Program ranked 38th, with 781 students receiving scholarships under the program. Louisiana's School Choice Program for Certain Students with Exceptionalities ranked 47th, with 342 participating students. For the full report, visit this website.[27]

That same month, the Friedman Foundation released the 2016 edition of "The ABCs of School Choice," a comprehensive report detailing and commenting upon every school choice program in the nation. To access the full report, click here.

## School choice ballot measures[edit]

See also: School choice on the ballot and List of Louisiana ballot measures

Ballotpedia has tracked no statewide ballot measures relating to school choice in Louisiana.

## School choice legislation[edit]

The following is a list of recent charter school bills that have been introduced in or passed by the Louisiana state legislature. To learn more about each of these bills, click the bill title. This information is provided by BillTrack50 and LegiScan.

Note: Due to the nature of the sorting process used to generate this list, some results may not be relevant to the topic. If no bills are displayed below, no legislation pertaining to this topic has been introduced in the legislature recently.

## Recent news[edit]

The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Louisiana education choice. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.

School choice in Louisiana - Google News

## See also[edit]

* Public education in Louisiana
* Charter schools in Louisiana
* List of school districts in Louisiana
* School choice
* Charter schools
* Magnet schools
* School vouchers

## External links[edit]

* National Alliance for Public Charter Schools
* Friedman Foundation for Educational Choice
* Home School Legal Defense Association

## Footnotes[edit]

1. ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "School Choice and Charters," accessed June 18, 2014
2. ↑ Friedman Foundation for School Choice, "What is School Choice?" accessed June 18, 2014
3. ↑ National Charter School Resource Center, "Understanding Charter Schools," accessed April 29, 2104
4. ↑ Uncommon Schools, "Frequently Asked Questions About Public, Charter Schools," accessed April 30, 2014
5. ↑ The Center for Education Reform, "Just the FAQs--Charter Schools," accessed April 30, 2014
6. ↑ National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, "A Closer Look at the Charter School Movement," February 3, 2016
7. ↑ Public School Review, "What is a magnet school?" accessed December 9, 2014
8. ↑ Magnet Schools of America, "What are magnet schools?" accessed December 9, 2014
9. ↑ National Center for Education Statistics, "Table 3. Number of operating public elementary and secondary schools, by school type, charter, magnet, Title I, and Title I schoolwide status, and state or jurisdiction: School year 2013–14," accessed May 24, 2016
10. ↑ Public School Review, "Find Public Schools," accessed May 24, 2016
11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 Education Commission of the States, "Open Enrollment 50-State Report," updated November 2015
12. ↑ National Center for Education Statistics, "Table 205.80. Private elementary and secondary schools, enrollment, teachers, and high school graduates, by state: Selected years, 2003 through 2013," accessed May 24, 2016
13. ↑ National Center for Education Statistics, "Table 101.40. Estimated total and school-age resident populations, by state: Selected years, 1970 through 2014," accessed May 24, 2016
14. ↑ Coalition for Responsible Home Education, "Homeschooling Numbers," accessed May 25, 2016
15. ↑ National Center for Education Statistics, "Table 206.10. Number and percentage of homeschooled students ages 5 through 17 with a grade equivalent of kindergarten through 12th grade, by selected child, parent, and household characteristics: 2003, 2007, and 2012," accessed May 25, 2016
16. ↑ Home School Legal Defense Association, "Louisiana," accessed May 25, 2016
17. ↑ Evergreen Education Group, "Keeping Pace with K-12 Digital Learning, 2015," accessed May 25, 2016
18. ↑ Note: This tally includes both full-time online schools and "blended learning" environments, in which online learning methods are combined with traditional face-to-face instruction.
19. ↑ Center for Education Reform, "Find a Charter School," accessed May 30, 2016
20. ↑ School Choices, "School Vouchers: Issues and Arguments," accessed May 26, 2016
21. ↑ The Friedman Foundation for Educational Choice, "Louisiana - School Choice Program for Certain Students with Exceptionalities," accessed May 30, 2016
22. ↑ The Friedman Foundation, "Louisiana - Louisiana Scholarship Program," accessed May 30, 2016
23. ↑ The Friedman Foundation for Educational Choice, "Louisiana - Tuition Donation Rebate Program," accessed May 30, 2016
24. ↑ The Friedman Foundation for Educational Choice, "Louisiana - Elementary and Secondary School Tuition Deduction," accessed May 30, 2016
25. ↑ Supreme Court of the United States, Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue: "Petition for a writ of certiorari," accessed July 3, 2019
26. ↑ Supreme Court of the United States, Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue, decided June 30, 2020
27. ↑ Friedman Foundation for Educational Choice, "America's School Choice Programs Ranked by Participation, 2016 Edition," January 27, 2016

v • e

Education policy

Featured articles|

School choice in the United States • Impact of school choice on rural school districts • States with and without universal school choice programs • State policies on cellphone use in K-12 public schools • Local school board authority across the 50 states

* * *

Terms|

Charter schools • Common Core • Dropout rate • Progressive education • Regulatory Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate • School vouchers • Teacher merit pay

* * *

State public education pages|

Alabama • Alaska • Arizona • Arkansas • California • Colorado • Connecticut • Delaware • District of Columbia • Florida • Georgia • Hawaii • Idaho • Illinois • Indiana • Iowa • Kansas • Kentucky • Louisiana • Maine • Maryland • Massachusetts • Michigan • Minnesota • Mississippi • Missouri • Montana • Nebraska • Nevada • New Hampshire • New Jersey • New Mexico • New York • North Carolina • North Dakota • Ohio • Oklahoma • Oregon • Pennsylvania • Rhode Island • South Carolina • South Dakota • Tennessee • Texas • Utah • Vermont • Virginia • Washington • West Virginia • Wisconsin • Wyoming

* * *

State higher education pages|

Alabama • Alaska • Arizona • Arkansas • California • Colorado • Connecticut • Delaware • Florida • Georgia • Hawaii • Idaho • Illinois • Indiana • Iowa • Kansas • Kentucky • Louisiana • Maine • Maryland • Massachusetts • Michigan • Minnesota • Mississippi • Missouri • Montana • Nebraska • Nevada • New Hampshire • New Jersey • New Mexico • New York • North Carolina • North Dakota • Ohio • Oklahoma • Oregon • Pennsylvania • Rhode Island • South Carolina • South Dakota • Tennessee • Texas • Utah • Vermont • Virginia • Washington • West Virginia • Wisconsin • Wyoming

* * *

State school choice pages|

Alabama • Alaska • Arizona • Arkansas • California • Colorado • Connecticut • Delaware • Florida • Georgia • Hawaii • Idaho • Illinois • Indiana • Iowa • Kansas • Kentucky • Louisiana • Maine • Maryland • Massachusetts • Michigan • Minnesota • Mississippi • Missouri • Montana • Nebraska • Nevada • New Hampshire • New Jersey • New Mexico • New York • North Carolina • North Dakota • Ohio • Oklahoma • Oregon • Pennsylvania • Rhode Island • South Carolina • South Dakota • Tennessee • Texas • Utah • Vermont • Virginia • Washington • West Virginia • Wisconsin • Wyoming

* * *

Local school board authority pages|

Alabama • Alaska • Arizona • Arkansas • California • Colorado • Connecticut • Delaware • Florida • Georgia • Hawaii • Idaho • Illinois • Indiana • Iowa • Kansas • Kentucky • Louisiana • Maine • Maryland • Massachusetts • Michigan • Minnesota • Mississippi • Missouri • Montana • Nebraska • Nevada • New Hampshire • New Jersey • New Mexico • New York • North Carolina • North Dakota • Ohio • Oklahoma • Oregon • Pennsylvania • Rhode Island • South Carolina • South Dakota • Tennessee • Texas • Utah • Vermont • Virginia • Washington • West Virginia • Wisconsin • Wyoming

* * *

More policy coverage|

Administrative state • Education • ESG and pensions • Police CBAs • Unemployment insurance • Work requirements • Federalism

v • e

State of Louisiana
Baton Rouge (capital)

|

Elections |

What's on my ballot? | Elections in 2026 | How to vote | How to run for office | Ballot measures

Government |

Who represents me? | U.S. President | U.S. Congress | Federal courts | State executives | State legislature | State and local courts | Counties | Cities | School districts | Public policy

Ballotpedia

About

Overview • What people are saying • Support Ballotpedia • Contact • Contribute • Job opportunities

* * *

Executive: Leslie Graves, Founder and CEO • Gwen Beattie, Chief Operating Officer

Communications: Alison Graves, Director of Communications • Carley Allensworth • Abigail Campbell • Sarah Groat • Nathaniel Harwood • Dillon Redmond
External Relations:  Geoff Pallay, Director of External Relations • Ken Carbullido, Vice President of Election Product and Technology Strategy • Ashley Fleming • Thomas Mardik • Hannah Nelson
Operations: Meghann Olshefski, Director of Operations • Amanda Herbert • Mandy Morris • Caroline Presnell • Kelly Rindfleisch
Tech: Matt Latourelle, Director of Technology Operations • Ryan Burch • Kirsten Corrao • Beth Dellea • Travis Eden • Tate Kamish • Margaret Kearney • Eric Lotto • Joseph Sanchez • Mary Susmitha

Contributors: Scott Rasmussen

* * *

Editorial Content

Josh Altic, Director of Content • Daniel Anderson, Associate Director of Elections & Data • Cory Eucalitto, Associate Director of Features • Ryan Byrne, Managing Editor of Ballot Measures • Mandy McConnell, Managing Editor of News • Doug Kronaizl, Managing Editor of Local Expansion • Abbey Smith, Managing Editor of Elections • Janie Valentine, Managing Editor of Law • Joel Williams, Managing Editor of Events • Joseph Greaney, Managing Editor of Policy • Andrew Bahl • Jaclyn Beran • Marielle Bricker • Joseph Brusgard • Emma Burlingame • Kelly Coyle • Jon Dunn • Victoria Edwards • Thomas Ellis • Nicole Fisher • Thomas Grobben • Brianna Hosea • Molly Kehoe • Tyler King • Glorie Martinez • Norm Leahy, Senior Editor • Nathan Maxwell • Brandon McCauley • Andrew McNair • Ellie Mikus • Mackenzie Murphy • Kaley Platek • Samantha Post • Adam Powell • Annelise Reinwald • Spencer Richardson • Victoria Rose • Briana Ryan • Myj Saintyl • Maddy Salucka • Emma Soukup • Alexis Thacker • Mina Vogel • Samuel Wonacott • Trenton Woodcox • Heather Yates