State voucher program accepts applications through Feb. 24

Central Catholic High School continues to be the only Tri-City area school accepting applications for the Louisiana Scholarship Program. The application period opened last week.

The Louisiana Scholarship Program is designed to provide students with opportunities to attend high-quality schools. Applicants are eligible to receive a state-funded scholarship to enroll in participating nonpublic schools.

Eight students enrolled for the 2016-17 school year as scholarship recipients at Central Catholic, which is a slight decrease from last year’s 10 students, said Central Catholic High School Administrative Assistant Sandy Daigle.

The number of scholarship recipients for the 2014-15 school year was 6.

“The primary objective of the whole school choice movement is to create an environment where all students learn, where you allow the leadership of that particular school to create a process by which the kids within the personality of that school can flourish,” said Louisiana Federation for Children President Ann Duplessis.

Low-income families with students enrolled in a Louisiana public school rated C, D, F or T or entering kindergarten for the time are eligible to participate in the program.

“Families need to control what works best for their families,” Duplessis said. “You’re able to do it if you’re own Medicare, Medicaid.

“We believe when it comes to school choice and a child’s education, a family ought to have those same options.

“I think with this new administration it’s going to be even more critical that minorities and more low income families get themselves conditioned at minimum to get a great education because that’s the one thing they can’t take from you.

“That is the one thing that cannot be taken from anybody, a great education and a good mind.”

One of the main complaints about school choice is using state money for private education.

“Looking at what’s best for our children and whether it’s a traditional school, catholic school, private school or charter school,” Duplessis said. “Look at the schools those parents are choosing and is it working for that particular child.”

Families can apply online (www.lascholarshipprogram.org) or in person at the participating school of their choice until Feb. 24.

The Louisiana Department of Education will mail award letters in April.

There are 123 schools in 31 parishes/school districts participating in the scholarship program during the 2017-18 school year . More than 6,500 students are currently enrolled in the scholarship program.

Schools participating in the state scholarship program are held accountable for academic outcomes and must meet performance goals based on student achievement every year.

In the past five years, the achievement gap between Louisiana Scholarship Program students’ scores and the statewide public school average cut almost in half, from 32 percent to 18 percent, according to the Louisiana Federation for Children press release.