Gov. Bobby Jindal announced last week that he intends to use the $3.7 million in leftover voucher program funding to help plug the state's $180 million midyear budget shortfall in other areas. The money equates to roughly 700 vacant vouchers slots, according to the Jindal administration.
School vouchers -- given out through the Louisiana Scholarship Program -- let low-income students attend private school at taxpayer expense. Eligible children must be enrolled in a low-performing public school, or be entering kindergarten.
Many more families applied for vouchers than received them for the current school year, which is why it was surprising for legislators to find out all of the slots for the program weren't used.
About 13,000 families sought vouchers, but only 9,100 scholarships were offered, according to the Louisiana Department of Education. Then, a little less than 7,400 students choose to take advantage of the program this fall.
