Schools’ rejection of vouchers brushed off
Capitol news bureau
August 03, 2012
A move by two private schools to decline state voucher dollars will have negligible impact on the program, state officials said Wednesday.
The Dunham School plans to put the aid into a separate account until a lawsuit challenging the statute is resolved, according to a letter made available to attorneys for the state Department of Education.
However, the school is only set to get payments for four kindergarten students.
Barry Landry, a spokesman for the department, said state attorneys were also notified that St. Mary’s Assumption School in Cottonport, which is in Avoyelles Parish, would not accept the aid. However, Landry said the school got no applicants for the six classroom voucher seats that the state authorized.
The issue stems from letters sent last week by the Louisiana Association of Educators. LAE is a teachers’ union that has challenged Louisiana’s expanded voucher law in the 19th Judicial District Court.
Attorneys for the LAE asked most of the 119 schools authorized to get voucher aid to turn down the money until the lawsuit is resolved.
They said two schools planned to do just that but declined to identify them.
Nearly 10,000 students applied for the vouchers and the state has authorized about 5,600.
Students who attended public schools rated C, D or F by the state, and who meet income rules, are eligible for the aid.
The LAE and other groups contend the voucher legislation was passed improperly.