The Echo

New Orleans schools are slated to lose voucher, insurance money from state

By Andrew Vanacore, The Times-Picayune
dvocates for both public and private schools in New Orleans are engaged in a furious lobbying effort at the state Capitol this week, pushing lawmakers to restore education financing that has been stripped from Gov. Bobby Jindal's proposed budget.

As is, the spending plan taking shape in Baton Rouge would slice out part of the operating budget for the Recovery School District, the state body that oversees a majority of public schools in New Orleans. It also would eliminate funding for the state's voucher program, which was supposed to provide private school tuition for about 2,000 students in Orleans Parish this fall.

Combined with other cuts to state Department of Education programs, the loss of financing would have "a crippling impact on our ability to deliver high-quality educational programs to our students, families, local school districts, schools, and educators," Acting State Superintendent Ollie Tyler warned last week.


The cuts were part of $139 million in spending reductions ordered by the budget-writing House Appropriations Committee last Tuesday, which has provoked a well-orchestrated backlash from Jindal's administration. Advocates for parents and schools in New Orleans have joined the fray, scrambling to make their case to lawmakers ahead of the budget debate that will take place in the full House beginning Wednesday.

Legislators have until their June 23 scheduled adjournment to settle their differences with the administration.

As a reminder - Early on in the RTTT application process, the Recovery School District was cited a successful example of the RTTT models by various education deform advocates such as Mass Insight.

From the LaRSD website:
http://www.doe.state.la.us/divisions/rsd/

Overview


With its unique governance model – designed to support autonomy, flexibility and innovation – the Recovery School District (RSD) is a leading reform model for educators around the country and even around the globe as they search for solutions to transform low-performing schools.

Established by the Legislature in 2003, this state-administered school district intervenes when schools are deemed as failing for at least four consecutive years. In the 2009-10 school year, the RSD is providing direct or indirect support to 113 schools in 14 school districts across Louisiana. With its strong focus on recruiting and supporting highly effective teachers and school leaders, the RSD has established a successful track record over the course of just a few years and is garnering national respect for its significant progress.

The expected funding cuts in La will impact the district's ability to provide insurance coverage for its facilities.

Huge hit on insurance


The biggest hit to New Orleans schools would be the loss of state money that normally covers building insurance premiums. The Appropriations Committee stripped the $11 million set aside in the Recovery School District's budget for covering those premiums.

That means RSD schools will have to pay an average of $350 per student every year to cover the premiums themselves, according to an estimate from the state department of education, an expense that would fall on both the independently run charter schools that predominate in the RSD and the district's traditional schools.

That rate is somewhat inflated because Louisiana law requires that state bodies like the Recovery School District buy insurance through the Louisiana Office of Risk Management, rather than looking for the best possible price in the private market.

Everyone from individual school leaders to RSD Superintendent John White and members of the state board of education has mobilized to point this out to lawmakers.

The second area of funding in question is around vouchers.  The voucher program funded tuition for 1700 Louisiana students this year.

Quest to preserve vouchers


At the same time, proponents of private school vouchers are waging their own battle to survive the budget ax.

"We really have our armies out to make sure everyone understands the potential impact on our students and on this state," said Monteic A. Sizer, the top Louisiana official for the Black Alliance of Educational Options.

The alliance is a fervent backer of the New Orleans voucher program. Last year the state put up $8.7 million to pay for the private school tuition of about 1,700 students in New Orleans from kindergarten through fifth grade. With support from Jindal, the program was set to expand into middle school this fall, covering about 2,000 students with state funding of $10 million.

C&E 1st follows the successes and failures of the "model" reform districts touted by the likes of Arne Duncan as they may forecast the future for Delaware's current education reform efforts.  This story brings us back to the question we've been asking for two years:  What happens when RTTT runs out? And districts are still mandated to continue the reforms without the federal-to-state-to-district funding? Will districts be forced to shift local tax dollars to supporting reform efforts? What would that impact feel like?  Are the plans truly sustainable beyond the RTTT funding? And most importantly, what happens if the achievement acceleration that the state is banking on simply never percolates?