The Ouachita Parish School Board called a special meeting on Friday at noon to approve the LSBA resolution expressing opposition to state legislation establishing Education Savings Accounts (ESAs), including House Bill 745 and Senate Bill 313 which creates the LA GATOR Scholarship Program, that provide public dollars for private school tuition and educational expenses and to urge the Ouachita Parish legislative delegation to vote NO on any bill proposing an Education Savings Account, and otherwise to provide with respect thereto.
The remainder of the Resolution reads as follows:
WHEREAS, there is a renewed and concerted effort at the legislature to pass bills that will give public funds directly to parents to be used for private school tuition and other educational expenses with little to no oversight; and
WHEREAS, for the past 20 years, the state has failed to adequately fund K-12 public education; and
WHEREAS, during that same period the state has continuously placed new accountability demands on both our students and our schools; and
WHEREAS, the Ouachita Parish School Board provides free public K-12 education to any student who resides in our school district within the guidelines set by both the state and federal government; and
WHEREAS, diverting public dollars to private schools and other programs through Education Savings Accounts (ESAs) without fully funding public schools disadvantages our students and schools; and
WHEREAS providing public dollars to ESAs without requiring the same state accountability testing imposed on public school students is irresponsible public policy.
THEREFORE, the Ouachita Parish School Board does hereby express its OPPOSITION to legislation creating and/or funding Education Savings Accounts.
FURTHER, the Ouachita Parish School Board directs the superintendent of the Ouachita Parish School System to deliver a certified copy of this Resolution to each member of the legislative delegation of Ouachita Parish.
By unanimous vote, the resolution was declared adopted on March 22, 2024.
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