With Cuts To The Voucher Program, Many Students Left On Waiting List For Private Schools

As the new school year is right around the corner, about one in three students who thought they would receive a voucher to attend a private school are now on a waiting list. President of the Louisiana Federation for Children Ann Duplessis says it’s very devastating to these families. She says over 400 young people who anticipated being placed in a private school have now been told a week before school starts, they won’t have a spot.

“It has been very, very unsettling to the families not knowing what is going to happen a week before school.”

Duplessis says these students could be forced to go to some of the worst schools. She says we now have situations where siblings are split up and won’t be attending the same school.

“One child will have to go to a school in one part of the city, the other child the other part of the city. It’s really caused a lot of disruption.”

The state cut the voucher program by 2.5 million dollars for the 2016-2017 school year because of Louisiana’s massive budget deficit. But Duplessis says she’s hopeful legislators can resolve this issue soon because this is a huge problem.

“Because it’s just not fair or right to have these families, the most at risk families, have to go through this.”