School-aged children in America have had plenty of adversity to deal with in recent years. But this new legislation may cut down on those challenges.

The Louisiana Senate and House have passed a significant school choice bill that will impact all families statewide by 2025. The bill now awaits the signature of Governor Jeff Landry (R-LA), a well-known advocate for school choice, to become law.

With this move, Louisiana is set to become the 12th state in the U.S. to implement universal or near-universal school choice.

It will join states like Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Indiana, Iowa, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Utah, and West Virginia in offering expanded educational options for families.

Governor Landry’s commitment to school choice is unwavering. On May 30, shortly after the bill passed the second chamber, he proclaimed, “School choice is now a reality in the state of Louisiana!”

Senate Bill 313 introduces an education savings account, the most flexible school choice program, allowing parents to choose the best educational path for their children.

The program is aptly named “Giving All True Opportunity to Rise.” Landry emphasized the importance of quality education, stating, “If students aren’t given the opportunity to receive a quality education, they don’t have a fair shot at success in life.”

Reflecting on his commitment to improving Louisiana’s education system, Landry stated, “I made a pledge to enact bold change that improves our education system … with the legislature’s help, we did just that.”

He added, “The LA GATOR Program puts parents in the driver’s seat and gives every child the opportunity for a great education. When parents are committed to the value of their child’s education, government should never get in the way.”

Louisiana has historically ranked near the bottom in national K-12 public school student achievement. According to the Nation’s Report Card, 73% of fourth-grade public school students in Louisiana are not proficient in math, and 72% are not proficient in reading.

The situation worsens in eighth grade, with 81% not proficient in math and 73% not proficient in reading. Clearly, the current public school system is failing a large majority of Louisiana’s children.

By allowing parents to control their children’s education funds, the state will liberate families from the constraints of their assigned public school districts.

This financial flexibility will enable them to explore alternative educational opportunities if they choose.

Introducing school choice to the K-12 sector is expected to foster competition, challenging the public school monopoly and diminishing the influence of teachers’ unions over education.

School choice advocates argue that competition will drive public schools to improve their services and educational quality to retain students. Corey DeAngelis, an expert on the subject, notes, “Ten out of the eleven rigorous studies on the subject have found that private-school-choice competition has improved academic and behavioral outcomes in Florida public schools.” He asserts, “School choice is a rising tide that lifts all boats.”

The anticipated benefits for Louisiana’s children are substantial, with potential long-term positive impacts on the state’s workforce, economy, and society. Before Landry’s election, former Democratic Governor John Bel Edwards vetoed bills that, according to DeAngelis, “would have allowed all families with children who weren’t reading at grade level or had special needs to take their state-funding education dollars to schools of their choice.”

During his campaign, Landry emphasized his dedication to parental empowerment: “Parents should be empowered to decide how their child can best achieve their fullest academic potential because parents are the most important voice in a child’s education.”

With the upcoming signature, Landry is set to fulfill his promise of delivering educational freedom to all Louisianans in his first year in office. This development may herald further transformative education reforms under his leadership, potentially ending the trend of Louisiana’s K-12 students falling behind their peers nationally.

Stay tuned to the Silent Majority Report.