The sponsor of a bill that would allow public school students to use taxpayer dollars to leave and pursue a private school education or other options shelved her measure Tuesday.
The proposal, House Bill 824, won approval in the House Education Committee on April 6 and was set for discussion in the House Appropriations Committee.
Louisiana children would be allowed to leave public schools and take the state aid with them under a bill that won approval Wednesday in the H…
But Rep. Laurie Schlegel, R-Metairie, asked that she be allowed to voluntarily defer her bill – legislative parlance for setting it aside but technically still in the mix – after making a brief pitch for the sweeping changes.
She told the committee doing "different things" causes trepidation in the Legislature.
HB824 is one of a handful that would allow students to leave public schools but retain access to about $5,400 in annual state education aid while they pursue other education avenues.
Others are more targeted than Schlegel's proposal, including bills that would apply to students who have been the target of bullying and sexual assault and those with exceptionalities, both of which won approval in the committee and next face action in the full House.
They are House Bill 452 and House Bill 194 respectively.
Another measure that has won House approval – House Bill 33 – would apply to children of military families, those in foster care and students in D and F public schools who have been unable to transfer.
It is awaiting action in the Senate Education Committee.
Also, Sen. Sharon Hewitt, R-Slidell, is the sponsor of a bill that would allow students reading below grade level to qualify for the aid.
It is Senate Bill 203, won approval last week in the Senate Education Committee and is awaiting a vote in the Senate Finance Committee.
Backers say the plans would give parents more power to control their child's education.
Ten years after the Louisiana Legislature approved sweeping changes in public schools, a new drive is underway that would allow students to op…
Opponents contend education savings accounts – the term used for how the state aid would be set up – amount to vouchers and that Louisiana's voucher program has not performed well.
Schlegel said she was raised by a single mom with three daughters who sacrificed so she could attend a parochial school.
"And that is why i am here today," she added.
