Education (School Choice)

passed · Louisiana · House Jun 3, 2026

HR 333: STUDENT/DISCIPLINE: Requests public school governing authorities and employees to comply with and enforce the bullying laws of the state of Louisiana

This resolution urges public school officials and employees in Louisiana to follow existing state laws against bullying. It does not create new rules but asks schools to enforce current requirements that mandate anti-bullying policies, reporting procedures, and staff training. The document directs copies of this request to local school superintendents and charter school authorities. By emphasizing compliance with current statutes, the bill aims to ensure consistent enforcement of student safety measures already established by the legislature.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill enforces existing anti-bullying laws to protect student safety and ensure consistent enforcement of safety policies in schools.85% confidence

Sub-Topics School Choice School Safety

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passed · Louisiana · Senate May 7, 2026

SB 507: STUDENTS: Requires BESE to establish a uniform process to determine when a student is nonenrolled due to incarceration or unknown whereabouts in order to exclude the student from public school accountability calculations. (8/1/26)

This bill modifies state law to exempt charter schools from a specific requirement that currently applies to public schools regarding student enrollment status. Under the existing rule, schools must identify students who are incarcerated or have unknown whereabouts to remove them from accountability calculations, but this bill adds that rule to the list of mandates that charter schools do not have to follow. The legislation directly affects charter school administrators by relieving them of the obligation to track and report these specific student populations for accountability purposes. By amending the statute, the bill clarifies that charter schools are not required to exclude incarcerated or missing students from their enrollment counts in the same way public schools must.

Topics ✗ EducationOpposes EducationBill exempts charter schools from accountability measures regarding incarcerated or missing students, potentially weakening oversight and educational access standards.75% confidence

Sub-Topics School Choice

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passed both · Louisiana · House May 28, 2026

HCR 81: SCHOOLS/ENROLLMENT: Requests that the state Department of Education conduct a study of options for public school systems facing declining enrollment

This bill requests the state Department of Education to study options for public school systems and charter schools that are experiencing declining enrollment. The key provision involves expanding the scope of the study to explicitly include charter schools alongside traditional public school districts. By adding "and charter schools" to the text in multiple locations, the legislation ensures that both types of institutions are considered when exploring solutions to low enrollment numbers.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill mandates a study to find solutions for declining enrollment, aiming to protect and strengthen public and charter schools.85% confidence

Sub-Topics School Choice

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signed · Louisiana · Senate May 22, 2026

SB 522: SCHOOLS: Provides for approval for charter schools that specialize in vocational and technical education to meet workforce demands for high demand and high wage jobs. (8/1/26) (EN INCREASE GF EX See Note)

This bill creates a new pathway for establishing vocational and technical charter schools in Louisiana that bypass local school boards and go directly to the state board for approval. To qualify, these schools must offer programs aligned with high-demand, high-wage jobs in sectors like manufacturing, technology, and energy, and they must receive a formal resolution of support from the State Board of Commerce and Industry. The legislation allows up to 50% of student enrollment to be reserved for children of employees or residents working in the specific industry the school serves, while also permitting industry representatives to sit on the school's governing board. Additionally, the bill requires charter agreements to include memorandums of understanding with local businesses to provide support such as internships and career counseling.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill creates a specific approval pathway for vocational and technical charter schools, expanding educational access and enhancing student programs for workforce preparation.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Career & Technical Education School Choice

signed · Louisiana · House Jun 1, 2026

HB 1079: SCHOOLS/CHARTER: Authorizes certain charter schools to give enrollment preference to certain students

This bill allows charter schools in Louisiana to prioritize enrollment for kindergarten students who attended specific early learning centers. It directly affects charter schools and the families of young children by creating a formal preference system for certain preschool experiences. Under the new rule, schools can give preference to students who attended a center run by the charter school itself or a separate licensed center where the student spent at least 75 days and an enrollment agreement exists between the two organizations. The legislation adds this option to existing charter school requirements without mandating that schools use the preference, leaving the decision to individual charter schools.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill expands educational access by allowing charter schools to prioritize enrollment for students with early learning center experience, strengthening preschool-to-school transitions.75% confidence

Sub-Topics Early Childhood K-12 Education School Choice

in committee · Louisiana · Senate Mar 10, 2026

SB 402: SCHOOLS: Provides for parental choice in education and the Preservation of Religious Education Act. (gov sig)

This bill amends Louisiana education laws to clarify and strengthen parental rights to choose religious education for their children. It directly affects parents, private religious schools, and state and local government agencies that oversee education. The key provision ensures that government agencies cannot impose restrictions on religious schools that are more severe than those applied to secular businesses or public schools. It also defines various types of religious educational institutions and confirms that existing religious freedom protections apply to all government educational agencies. The legislation codifies previous court rulings and federal constitutional protections regarding parental control over religious education.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill strengthens parental choice and protects religious education options, expanding educational access and rights for families.85% confidence

Sub-Topics School Choice

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in committee · Louisiana · House Mar 9, 2026

HB 303: SCHOOLS/CHARTER: Excludes certain local revenues for the purposes of computing per pupil funding amounts for certain charter schools (OR NO IMPACT See Note)

HB 303 modifies how Louisiana calculates per-pupil funding for certain charter schools by excluding specific state transportation funds. The bill targets Type 1, 3, 3B (non-self-governing), and Type 4 charter schools, excluding state-provided funds for transporting nonpublic school students (as defined in R.S. 17:158) when determining their annual funding amount. This change ensures those transportation dollars aren't counted toward the state’s minimum foundation program formula used to set charter school funding. The policy directly affects charter school funding calculations without altering the actual transportation funding or total state budget for schools.

Topics ✗ Budget & TaxesOpposes Budget & TaxesExcludes state transportation funds from per-pupil calculation, reducing charter school funding under foundation program.85% confidence ✗ EducationOpposes EducationExcludes transportation funds from charter school funding calculations, reducing state funding for targeted charter schools.90% confidence

Sub-Topics State Budget School Choice School Funding

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signed · Louisiana · House Jun 8, 2026

HB 386: SCHOOLS/CHARTER: Provides relative to charter school funding (EN NO IMPACT See Note)

HB 386 clarifies funding rules for Louisiana charter schools by requiring that Type 1, 3, 3B (non-LEA), and Type 4 charter schools receive per-pupil funding based on the state's minimum foundation program, adjusted for student needs. The bill allows these schools to operate as their own local education agency (LEA) for funding purposes with local school board approval, while Type 2 and 5 charter schools are automatically treated as the LEA. It also authorizes the state to withhold 0.25% of certain fees from charter schools to cover administrative costs for financial oversight. This affects all Louisiana charter schools receiving state funding and standardizes their financial relationship with local districts.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesClarifies per-pupil funding rules for charter schools, ensuring state budget allocation aligns with foundation program requirements, supporting equitable education funding distribution.95% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationClarifies and mandates per-pupil funding for charter schools based on state foundation program, ensuring equitable financial support for public education access and operations.95% confidence

Sub-Topics School Choice School Funding

died · Louisiana · House Mar 6, 2026

HB 910: TAX CREDITS: Exempts the Dept. of Education from enrollment verification requirements for certain students

HB 910 exempts the Louisiana Department of Education from verifying student enrollment in public schools for scholarship recipients from school tuition organizations. Specifically, it removes the requirement that the Department check if students were enrolled in Louisiana public schools on October 1st or February 1st for those attending public elementary/secondary laboratory schools operated by colleges or universities. This change streamlines administrative processes for these specific students without altering the tax credit eligibility rules. The bill directly affects students in public lab schools and the Department of Education’s verification workflow. It does not impact other scholarship recipients or the tax credit amount itself.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationRemoves administrative barrier for scholarship students in college-operated lab schools, facilitating access to educational funding without direct funding increase.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Higher Education School Choice Student Financial Aid

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in committee · Louisiana · Senate Mar 9, 2026

SB 394: SCHOOLS: Allows parents to voluntarily sign a limited waiver of student privacy rights in order to streamline and expedite tuition payments for LA Gator students who are enrolled full time in BESE approved nonpublic schools. (gov sig) (OR INCREASE GF EX See Note)

SB 394 modifies Louisiana's LA GATOR Scholarship Program to allow parents of full-time students enrolled in BESE-approved nonpublic schools to voluntarily sign a limited privacy waiver. This waiver permits the state to share specific student information (like name, birth date, and enrollment status) with the scholarship program manager and school, enabling faster tuition payments to avoid disruptions in student attendance or reserved spots. The waiver is strictly limited in scope - only for tuition payment processing - and does not override all privacy rights; parents can revoke consent in writing at any time. The bill also mandates data security safeguards for protected information and requires a clear, standardized consent form explaining what data is shared and why.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill streamlines tuition payments for LA GATOR scholarship students in nonpublic schools, expanding educational access by removing bureaucratic barriers to enrollment in approved institutions.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Higher Education School Choice Student Financial Aid

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