MONROE, La. (KNOE) – The president and vice president of the Northeast Baptist School Board shared their thoughts on the new LA Gator Scholarship program on Feb. 11.
“There are a lot of parents that we talked to who would love to put their kids in a Christian education, but they just can’t afford it. The economy is kind of tough,” said Dr. Mike Holloway, president of the Northeast Louisiana Baptist School Board.
Governor Jeff Landry signed off on creating the program in June 2024.
The scholarship program uses tax dollars to provide state funding for parents to choose a school that best fits their child’s educational needs.
The money can be used to pay for tuition, textbooks, uniforms, tutoring and more.
Pastor Skip Dean, vice president of the Northeast Louisiana Baptist School Board, explained why this program is beneficial for both parents and students.
“We feel it’s very progressive. It gives choice and opportunity to parents and to children. I think it’s a great opportunity for all of our schools,” said Dean.
Dr. Holloway said this program allows more students to seek a Christian education at their school if they wish.
“God gave that responsibility to parents to raise their children, and if they want to raise them in a Christian education environment, we want to help them do that,” said Dr. Holloway.
When asked how this new program could impact public schools, Dr. Holloway said if the schools lose students, they could also lose some state funding they currently receive.
We reached out to Ouachita, Caldwell, Union and Lincoln Parish Schools along with Monroe City Schools on their thoughts of the new program, and we were unable to receive a comment.
The Louisiana House of Representatives Committee on Education will be meeting on Feb. 12 at 10 am at the Louisiana State Capital in Baton Rouge to give an update on the K-12 education study group which could impact how the LA Gator Scholarship program runs.
Applications for the scholarship program open on March 1, 2025.
To learn more about the program or to apply, click here.
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