The Advocate. April 28, 2024.
Editorial: ESAs offer hope, but key questions need answers
There’s no question that many of Louisiana’s K-12 public schools are failing our children. Our state consistently ranks at the bottom of U.S. educational rankings, though there have been some bright spots in recent years with gains in fourth-grade reading outpacing other states.
So we understand the impetus behind House Bill 745 by state Rep. Julie Emerson, R-Carencro, that would create so-called education scholarship accounts, or ESAs, to allow parents to use public funds to pay for private school tuition, tutoring, online education, uniforms or other approved education expenses.
ESAs are the latest trend in conservative-led states to address the gaps left by failing K-12 public schools. If there is a throughline from the high-stakes testing of “No Child Left Behind” to the advent of charters and vouchers, and now to ESAs, it is an attempt to help all students get the education they deserve. That’s a goal we can all get behind.
Honest disagreements arise, however, over how best to achieve that goal. Emerson’s HB 745 aims to do it via the Louisiana Giving All True Opportunity to Rise, or LA GATOR, program.
In its current form, the bill would phase in the LA GATOR program over three years, beginning with the 2025-26 school year. Initially, stipends would be available only to students who meet any of the following conditions: 1) those already enrolled in the state’s voucher program, which will end when the LA GATOR program begins; 2) those beginning kindergarten; 3) those who attended a public school the previous academic year; and 4) those whose parents earn at or below 250% of the federal poverty level.
In the second year, eligibility would expand to include families earning 400% or less of the federal poverty level. By 2027, all Louisiana families could participate.
Private schools would have to apply to participate, and families would have to bear costs not covered by the stipend.
Earlier this month, HB 745 overwhelmingly passed the House. As it moves through the Senate, we hope there’s a deeper questioning of whether the bill will fulfill its promise.
For instance, if the goal is to help underserved students, why open the program to private schools with rigorous entrance requirements? And shouldn’t participating schools have to meet the same standards — and use the same standardized tests — as public schools?
What about rural school districts, which have less fiscal flexibility if students take state dollars elsewhere?
Students with special needs, who would be eligible for larger stipends, still find that private schools often do not offer specialized programs that public schools are required to offer — and that help them thrive.
And let’s not ignore the biggest, most pervasive problem faced by other states that have implemented ESAs — runaway costs.
We can’t deny that education is the key that unlocks a brighter future for young people, and we should be willing to invest in it. As Rep. Jason Hughes, D-New Orleans, told the House Appropriations Committee, we cannot close our eyes to the problem of poor kids trapped in failing public schools.
The state has limited funds — and a temporary .45-cent sales tax will expire right when LA GATOR begins. The program is subject to legislative appropriations, which are neither guaranteed nor consistent. Currently, HB 745 prioritizes students in the state’s voucher program, followed by those beginning kindergarten. Will future legislatures change those priorities?
Other states with ESA programs have seen costs spiral out of control — quickly.
Estimates of LA GATOR’s cost vary, but all the numbers are huge. The Legislative Fiscal Office pegged it at $241 million in the 2028-2029 school year, and $260 million the year after. The Public Affairs Research Council put it at an eye-popping $520 million a year.
Before taxpayers invest that kind of money in a brand-new program, they deserve to know exactly what they’ll get, what it will cost and who will benefit.
END