May 07, 2012
Governor Jindal Signs Education Reform Law

BATON ROUGE – Governor Bobby Jindal signed into law today a bill to empower parents with more choices to help ensure that no child is trapped in a failing school.  HB 969 by Representative Kirk Talbot authorizes a dollar for dollar rebate for donations made to designated nonprofit “school tuition organizations” that grant scholarships to low income students to attend nonpublic schools.

Governor Jindal said, “Every child deserves the opportunity to get a great education.  Regardless of a child’s last name, zip code, race, gender, or the amount of money their parents make, no child should be trapped in a failing school.  Already this year, we’ve signed legislation to give parents more choices by expanding access to scholarships statewide and allowing dollars to follow the child to dual-enrollment, virtual, and other educational options; today we give parents yet another option to give their kids the education they deserve.

“The bottom line is that our children must receive an education that prepares them for success in life, whether that means a child attends a traditional school, charter school, private school, online school, or is homeschooled.  Unfortunately, too many parents today are limited from truly having meaningful choices.  That’s unacceptable.  Parents know better than any bureaucrat in Washington D.C. or Baton Rouge how best to meet their child’s needs and today we have empowered parents with another option to help their children receive a great education.”

HB 969 by Rep. Talbot creates a dollar for dollar rebate for donations made to designated nonprofit “school tuition organizations” that grant scholarships to low income students to attend nonpublic schools

• This legislation creates a dollar for dollar rebate for individual or corporate donations to a new designation of nonprofit, a “school tuition organization” or STO, to be expended on scholarships for students whose parents make up to 250% of Federal Poverty to attend a nonpublic school.
  
  
• Scholarships can be up to 80% of the state average portion of the Minimum Foundation Program for students in K-8 or up to 90% of the state average portion of the Minimum Foundation Program for 9-12.
  
  
• School tuition organizations are new or existing nonprofit organizations with 501(c)3 status that have applied to the state for the specific authority of making scholarships for which the donor would be eligible for a rebate under this legislation.

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