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 (Louisiana Public School Choice Act) 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.
Present law requires each public school governing authority to adopt a policy to govern
student transfers authorized by present law.
Proposed law retains present law.
Proposed law requires the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE) to
study the feasibility and advisability of establishing an appeals process for students denied
transfer to a higher-performing school pursuant to present law. Provides that the study shall
include an analysis of the board's constitutional authority to make decisions regarding local
school enrollment capacity and the costs of such student transfers to both the sending and
receiving school systems. Requires BESE to submit a written report of findings and
recommendations to the Senate Committee on Finance, the House Committee on
Appropriations, and the Senate and House education committees by March 1, 2021.
(Amends R.S. 17:4035.1)
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.
Page 1 of 2
Prepared by Jeanne Johnston. 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.
Committee Amendments Proposed by Senate Committee on Finance to the
reengrossed bill
1. Removes provisions relative to student transfers pursuant to the Louisiana
Public School Choice Act and instead requires BESE to study the feasibility
of establishing an appeals process, the constitutional authority of the board,
and a cost analysis to sending and receiving school systems. Requires written
report.
Page 2 of 2
Prepared by Jeanne Johnston.