In a last-minute burst of activity yesterday, the Louisiana legislature reworked funding for the state’s voucher program as part of changes to the state budget, says an Associated Press story.
Last month, the Louisiana Supreme Court ruled the original method of funding the state’s far-reaching voucher program, which would have diverted part of each student’s per-pupil funding to cover private school tuition, was unconstitutional. Under the state’s constitution, per-pupil funding can only flow to public schools, the judges said.
The program remained in flux for the nearly 8,000 students approved for vouchers in 2013-14 until last night, when lawmakers voted to fund the program through a line item in the budget.
The move was praised by school choice advocacy groups such as the American Federation for Children and the Louisiana chapter of the Black Alliance for Educational Options.