Louisiana May Skip Private School Certification Rule

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Under Louisiana's Constitution, any nonpublic school getting state money must be certified as providing a curriculum at least equal to those required for public schools.

But The News-Star reports that it's questionable whether that's true of the 377 schools with such approval, which gives their diplomas the same weight as the state's.

Under the Constitution and a court ruling, certification must come from the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education.

Member James Garvey of Metairie co-chairs its School Innovation and Turnaround Committee. He says BESE does not look at curriculum quality, just at policies and procedures.

Member Lottie Beebe of Breaux Bridge says there's no evidence the Constitution is being followed. She says the board is just taking the Education Department's word that the schools meet state standards.