Louisiana’s education landscape took a transformative turn in 2024 with the creation of the Louisiana Giving All True Opportunity to Rise (LA GATOR) program, a universal education savings account (ESA) initiative designed to empower families with unprecedented flexibility in choosing their child’s educational path. Modeled after successful ESA programs in states like Arizona and Florida, LA GATOR allocates public funds for approved educational expenses, including private school tuition, individual courses, career training, homeschooling materials, and tutoring. The program’s core promise? Putting decision-making power back in parents’ hands to meet their child’s unique needs, regardless of income, ability, or zip code.
The Pelican Institute for Public Policy was proud to play a role in shepherding LA GATOR to fruition. Teaming up with others who champion the rights of parents and a competitive free market, we fought hard to preserve the autonomy of parents, schools, and providers participating in the program and resisting excessive regulations. These included one-size-fits-all standardized testing, curriculum approvals, government-mandated affiliation with accrediting bodies, and reporting burdens that could have stifled participating schools and providers. Lawmakers and state education board members listened, holding the line on a family-first program design, ensuring it would serve as a true vehicle for choice rather than a bureaucratic hurdle.
Governor Jeff Landry championed the program early, incorporating $93 million in initial funding into his 2025-2026 budget proposal. This figure was calibrated to cover an estimated 12,000 students, based on projections from other states that had begun similar programs. But by the end of the program’s application period, the response was overwhelming. Over 39,000 families had applied, with nearly 35,000 deemed eligible after verification. This surge reflected pent-up demand, consistent with our own surveys showing overwhelming support for expanded educational offerings.
Yet, triumph quickly gave way to frustration. The Louisiana Department of Education (LDOE) projected that full funding—around $250 million—would be needed to serve all eligible applicants without a waitlist. The House held firm to the Governor’s $93 million request, viewing it as a measured rollout (only those meeting Phase I eligibility requirements would be served). But the Senate cut it to $43.5 million (primarily those transitioning from the state’s existing Student Scholarships for Educational Excellence program), with President Cameron Henry citing concerns over the program’s funding mechanism adopted by the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education through program regulations.
With just $43.5 million available, LDOE awarded scholarships to only 5,739 students. Only 685 new applicants were awarded out of nearly 35,000 who applied and certified as eligible, and award letters did not go out until mid-July. Disappointment rippled through applicant families. Many had already paid deposits and school application fees and had missed deadlines for applying to other private and public schools. Some who were not funded asked to be removed from the waitlist, signaling frustration and uncertainty about state leaders’ support for the program. Currently around 28,000 eligible students remain on the waitlist, hoping that ALL will be given true opportunity to rise.
The legislature will get another chance in the spring to deliver on the promise to empower families to meet the individual educational needs of their children in an abundant, competitive, growing marketplace of 266 schools and 582 education service providers (so far) that have signed up to serve them. A dozen states serving families with universal or near-universal ESA programs, and our families and their children deserve at least as good as those.
Between now and the legislative session, all stakeholders should work earnestly (and quickly) to address remaining concerns. Louisiana has made historic gains in other areas of state government over the past few years; our state leaders can figure out how to move this priority forward so that, as jobs and opportunity return, so can families of school-age children and educational opportunity that will benefit them as well as our state’s future.
Let’s replace LA GATOR’s rocky debut with a renewed commitment to fund the promise.
