NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) – The superintendent of St. Tammany Parish schools is expressing concerns over a new voucher bill awaiting the governor’s signature that could impact public education.
The bill allows tax dollars to follow students to any public, private, or homeschool they choose.
Watchdog groups say there are still major details to work out before the full impact is felt.
Senate Bill 313, sponsored by Sen. Rick Edmonds (R-Baton Rouge), would allocate between $5,000 to $15,000 annually per student, diverting funds from public education. The bill’s mechanism would enable the state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE) to determine eligibility and program costs, potentially reaching $500 million per year.
“It threatens to divert money away from public schools,” St. Tammany school superintendent Frank Jabbia said.
Edmonds defended the bill, calling it one of the top educational choice bills in the country. He says the only funding allocated so far is $1.8 million for BESE to devise a plan.
Family advocacy group “Invest in Louisiana” voiced concerns over the bill’s financial implications. Jan Moller, a representative from the group, emphasized the state’s looming fiscal challenges.
“The state is already facing a fiscal cliff next year when taxes roll off the books,’ Moller said.
Moller says the LA Gator bill does nothing to address problems such as low teacher salaries, although state lawmakers approved stipends for teachers. The group is also concerned about accountability, but Edmonds says accountability measures are provided for in the bill, with more details to be worked out.
While the ESA bill in its current form allows the legislature to allocate funding as it sees fit in future years, the Public Affairs Research Council is worried about unprecedented new costs.
“The big driver of the cost will be if you have private school kids who enroll in this program, they would’ve been in any way. That’s all cost to the state,” said PAR’s Steven Procopio.
Edmonds says it’s too soon to determine the impacts.
“Instead of just plugging those numbers in, we are going to allow BESE to bring back the numbers,” he said.
For parents like Christina Templeton, the bill presents both opportunities and worries. Templeton, a mother of two, is cautiously optimistic but fears significant public school funding cuts.
“They shouldn’t take so much money from public school systems. They’re the ones that need it the most,” Templeton said.
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