The original instrument and the following digest, which constitutes no part of the
legislative instrument, were prepared by Cheryl Serrett.
DIGEST
SB 361 Original 2016 Regular Session Morrish
Present law establishes the Student Scholarships for Educational Excellence Program.
Present law provides that to be eligible for a scholarship a student shall reside in La., be a member
of a family with a total income that does not exceed 250% of the current federal poverty guidelines,
and shall meet any one of several criteria.
Present law provides that an entering kindergartner is eligible for the scholarship program if he has
enrolled in the local school system in which the public school he would have otherwise attended is
located or in a school under the jurisdiction of the Recovery School District.
Proposed law provides that an entering kindergarten student who meets one of the following criteria
is eligible to participate in the program:
(1)Would otherwise be assigned to attend a public school with a letter grade of a "D" or "F".
(2)Is the sibling of a scholarship recipient.
(3)Was enrolled in the Nonpublic School Early Childhood Development program at the school
in which he is entering kindergarten.
Present law provides that each local school system or the Recovery School District shall conduct its
annual kindergarten enrollment process and shall report such enrollment to the department prior to
the program enrollment process. Proposed law removes present law.
Present law allows a student who was enrolled, for the prior school year, in a public school that
received a letter grade of "C", "D", or "F" to be eligible for a scholarship.
Proposed law removes eligibility for a student who attended a public school that received a letter
grade of "C".
Present law provides for a random selection process to award scholarships in the event more
applications are submitted than participating schools have seats. The process provides that students
who would otherwise attend public schools that received a letter grade of "D" or "F" during the most
recent grading period would be provided seats before those from schools with a letter grade of "C".
Proposed law removes students that would otherwise attend public schools with a letter grade of "C"
from the award process. Present law provides that if there is a shortage of seats at participating schools that the Department
of Education may give preference to:
(1) Siblings of students already enrolled in the participating school.
(2) Students enrolled in the Nonpublic School Early Childhood Development Program at the
participating school.
(3) Students with a scholarship who are transferring from an ineligible school.
(4)Students residing in the parishes as indicated pursuant to the notice of intent, if applicable.
Proposed law removes preferences for students with a scholarship who would otherwise go to public
schools that received a "C" during the prior grading period and who are transferring from an
ineligible school. Proposed law additionally, removes preferences for students residing in the
parishes indicated.
Present law requires that the Department of Education annually provide a list of all schools with a
letter grade of "C", "D" or "F" to participating schools.
Proposed law removes the requirement that the department include schools with a letter grade of "C"
in this list.
Present law provides that scholarship recipients enrolled in an ineligible school may transfer to
another participating school without loss of eligibility, and that such recipients shall be given
preference for enrollment at other participating schools. Proposed law provides that only students
that would otherwise attend a public school that received a letter grade of "D" or "F" will be given
preference.
Effective upon signature of the governor or lapse of time for gubernatorial action.
(Amends R.S. 17:4013(2)(a) and (b), 4015(3)(b) and (7)(b), and 4021(C))