School Board members and district administration are very worried about legislation that could change school districts across Louisiana, including St. Charles.
Under two bills that will be introduced this week, it will be easier for St. Charles students to leave the district to attend specialty, charter and private schools – with St. Charles taxpayers footing the bill.
House Bill 976 and Senate Bill 597 would make significant changes to the Student Scholarships for Educational Excellence program, which offers vouchers to allow students to attend specialty or charter schools.
But school officials say that the “vouchers” actually mean that state funding and local sales tax that would normally go to the school district where a student lives would now be given to the school that the student attends.
When students leave St. Charles schools to attend the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts, Louisiana School for Math, Science and the Arts, Louisiana School for the Deaf or a charter school, district, state and federal money could go with them.
Jim Melohn, chief financial and administrative officer for the district, said that the changes would currently cause the district to lose about $103,000, but that number could rise. He said that other districts, like St. James Parish, would lose millions of dollars.
“This is serious…some parishes are losing millions of dollars and it could happen to us,” said Superintendent Rodney Lafon. “Public education in this parish and other good parishes is in jeopardy if the governor starts taking local dollars.”
The district is also concerned that the bills would “totally open up boundary lines between districts.”
Melohn said that if the bills are passed, students would be able to change school districts very easily. For instance, if one course a student wants to take is not offered in the district that would be a valid reason for changing schools. If they move to one of the approved schools, St. Charles money would be given to that student’s new school.
Low-income students would also be able to leave a school more easily if their school’s performance is rated as a C or below. That would currently include Allemands Elementary, St. Rose Elementary, R.J. Vial Elementary, Norco Elementary 4-6, Luling Elementary, R.K. Smith Middle and Albert Cammon Middle, based on 2011 School Performance Scores. Under the bills, state funding and local tax dollars would follow any eligible participating child to pay for private or specialty school tuition.
But some legislators say that private and charter schools would not have the capacity to accept students from all C-rated schools, so compromises will need to be made.
While school officials have some problems with the legislation and how it will change the landscape of education across the state, Melohn said that St. Charles is not overly worried about students leaving.
“We feel that our schools can compete with any school in the state,” he said. “We offer many programs that are not offered at other public or private schools…plus we have the accountability where parents know where we stand.”
The bills are part of Gov. Bobby Jindal’s overhaul of education in the state.
According to Jindal’s website, more than 100 elected officials including school board members, sheriffs, parish presidents and more have endorsed his plans. In a joint statement by some of those elected officials, they said “The status quo is failing far too many of our kids and it’s clear that our state must better prepare our kids for success in the classroom and in life.”
Jindal said in a release that there is nothing more important to the state’s future than education reform.
“I’m proud to have these local elected officials on board to support educational reforms that will give every child the opportunity to a great education that will help them pursue their dreams right here at home in Louisiana,” Jindal said in the release.
Another part of Jindal’s plan would give principals much more responsibility when it comes to their school’s budget.
“Currently we give our principals a staffing number and they hire their staff,” Melohn said. “This plan would give them (state, local and possibly federal) dollars and they would have to figure out what they could afford, what the cost is for each teacher, retirement cost, insurance cost…
“Our principals are totally against it…they say ‘We did not go to school to study business. We went to school to advance teaching and learning.’”
This “school-based budgeting” is being used in 17 school districts nationally and piloted in seven Louisiana schools next year, but will be implemented in all Louisiana districts for the 2013-2014 year if the bill is passed.
The plan also calls for local funding of Type 2 charter schools and a new type of charter school – Type 1B, according to Melohn.
The state board of education would have the power to grant other entities, such as universities or non-profit organizations, the right to approve the new type of charter schools. The local school board would have no authority in allowing or denying the creation of the schools, but local money would be used to fund them, Melohn said.
During a finance committee meeting on Monday, St. Charles board members preliminarily passed a resolution stating that they are against local funding of the operation of a Type 2 charter school. While the resolution would not override state law if the bills are enacted, the board said they wanted to make a point of sending the resolution to their legislators before the bills are discussed.
These bills were introduced at the Louisiana House of Representatives and the state Senate after press time. Check www.heraldguide.com for updates on this legislation.
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