Governor Bobby Jindal has been talking about the success of the state's school voucher program which has been reported on TV and in the newspaper. The program covers low income students to qualify for such aid who attend troubled and failing public schools.
According to a New Orleans Advocate report dated 12/27/15 the program this year will cost the state $42 million and cover approximately 7,000 students. How can a program that cost that much money and serve 7000 students be a success when it only kicks in when public schools fail? The answer is for the state and local governments to make sure the public school system does not fail. If the state can find $42 million for vouchers, that money should be used instead to correct the failing public schools. Instead it is being used to support private and religious schools.
Elected officials like to talk a good game about successful programs but in the case concerning vouchers, it does not correct the problem of failing public schools. This writer has never heard Jindal mention if those failing schools are on their way to success so vouchers will not have to be used in the future. The Advocate story was silent on that issue.
This commentary written by Joe Lorio
