The Legislature is set to tangle over a controversial education reform that would allow parents who don’t enroll their kids in public school to get the money the state would’ve given to their school districts.
The proposal has the backing of the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry, the state’s most powerful business lobby. LABI President Stephen Waguespack told WWL’s Tommy Tucker the bill would give parents who don’t use the public school system $5,500 a year to spend on education-related expenses.
“Maybe it is reading therapy, ABA therapy, PT or something like that if their kid needs some of that, maybe it is technical training, maybe it is a transportation solution for that family so that they can get their kid in a better school,” said Waguespack. “Other states are going down this road and we don’t think it won’t be too long before parents across this country, especially in Louisiana, are no longer going to tolerate not being given options.”
Qualifying expenses would be determined by BESE.
Opponents argue this would drain public schools of funds at a time when they are already underfunded.
Waguespack said LABI’s priority this year is education reform. That’s because LABI members are still struggling to adapt to the new labor market and Waguespack argues improved education outcomes for Louisiana students would supply business with a more reliable stream of qualified workers.
He highlighted reading education as the biggest impediment to the state producing the kind of workforce that will attract new investment.
“You can have all of the great training programs at the back end of the pipeline in high school and post-secondary, but if you are trying to train kids who have never really probably been taught to read, you are wasting your time,” said Waguespack.
