GREEN SHEET REDIGEST
HB 42 2020 Second Extraordinary Session Wright
SCHOOLS/CHOICE: Authorizes parents to appeal a local school board's denial of
school enrollment requests to the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education
(Item #42)
DIGEST
Present law allows parents to enroll children in the public school of their choice, without
regard to residence, school system geographic boundaries, or attendance zones, if both of the
following apply:
(1)The public school in which the student was most recently enrolled or would
otherwise attend received a school performance letter grade of "D" or "F" for the
most recent school year.
(2)The school in which the student seeks to enroll received a school performance letter
grade of "A", "B", or "C" for the most recent school year and has sufficient capacity
at the appropriate grade level.
Proposed law retains present law.
Present law requires each public school governing authority to adopt a policy to govern
student transfers authorized by present law. Proposed law requires that the student transfer
policy be posted to each public school governing authority's website by May 31, 2021, and
reported to the state Dept. of Education by June 30, 2021.
Proposed law authorizes appeals to BESE by students who are denied enrollment into their
public school of choice.
Proposed law prohibits BESE from:
(1)Approving an enrollment request if approval would result in a school exceeding
capacity.
(2)Requiring a school to enroll a student ahead of another student who was on an
existing waiting list.
Proposed law requires BESE to pursue funds to provide financial incentives and student
supports to schools enrolling students pursuant to present law.
Proposed law requires that school governing authority policies and BESE prioritize requests
for intradistrict transfers over interdistrict transfers.
Proposed law provides that if a student chooses a school under a different governing
authority, he shall not be included in the school's performance ratings for their first two years
of attendance. Present law provides that a student enrolled in a public school shall be counted
by the public school system in which he is enrolled for purposes of the minimum foundation
program and formula.
Proposed law retains present law and additionally provides that if a student enrolls in a
school under jurisdiction of a governing authority then his previous school, the governing
authority of the student's prior school shall transfer to the governing authority of the school
in which the student is enrolling an amount equal to the MFP formula local cost allocation
of the student or school system in which the student enrolls.
(Amends R.S. 17:4035.1)
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Prepared by Cheryl Serrett. Summary of Amendments Adopted by House
The House Floor Amendments to the engrossed bill:
1. Delete provision that a student be funded in the manner of a student enrolled
at a Type 2 charter school. Require instead that if a student transfers from a
school under the jurisdiction of one governing authority to another, an
amount equal to the per pupil supplemental allocation be transferred to the
governing authority of the school in which the student enrolls.
2. Prohibit BESE from approving a request that would cause a school to exceed
its capacity and from requiring a student to be enrolled ahead of one on a
waiting list.
3. Require that school governing authority policies and BESE prioritize
intradistrict priorities.
Summary of Amendments Adopted by Senate
Committee Amendments Proposed by Senate Committee on Education to the
reengrossed bill
1. Clarifies funding provisions between school governing authorities.
2. Provides that the appeal to BESE may only occur after the transfer is denied
by the school's governing authority.
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Prepared by Cheryl Serrett.