Families: Families are empowered to make school choices that are most likely to enable their child to thrive.
Prospective Schools: Prospective schools are supported in developing innovative, research-based school choices for Louisiana families.
Participating Schools: Participating schools provide students with clear pathways to college and career success, and families with high-quality educational options.
School Systems: School systems empower visionary educators to design and lead schools that meet district and community needs.
Public Schools
Louisiana has 1303 public schools in 70 school districts. The overwhelming majority of public schools are run by school districts.
Charter Schools
Charter schools are publicly funded schools that are run independently of the school district. Charter schools are run by a not-for-profit organization governed by a board of directors comprised of parents, educators, and business leaders in the community.
Digital Schools
Louisiana is modernizing education with a comprehensive plan to embrace the use of technology for both instruction and assessment.
Learn more about how Louisiana is supporting the transition to a 21st-century education.
Home Study
Louisiana Special Schools
Louisiana Families may choose to educate their children independently from the public or nonpublic school system. Louisiana families typically provide this independent education through a Nonpublic School Not Seeking State Approval or a Board of Elementary and Secondary Education Approved Home Study Program.
LA Special School District provides education to students with low-incidence disabilities and a variety of unique needs in the state of Louisiana. Currently, the district operates the Louisiana School for the Deaf and Louisiana School for the Visually Impaired, along with schools located within public health facilities and correctional facilities.
Parent Petition
In 2012, Louisiana enacted a parent petition law (La. R.S. 17:10.5), which enables parents to transfer their children’s consistently low-performing school to the Recovery School District. The Recovery School District (RSD) is a statewide school district under the Louisiana Department of Education that works together with charter operators and other educational organizations to transform academically struggling schools into high-performing schools. The Recovery School District currently oversees schools in Orleans, East Baton Rouge, and Caddo parishes.
Scholarship Programs
Programs for Certain Students w/Exceptionalities
The Louisiana Scholarship Program (LSP) is designed to provide students with additional opportunities to attend the school of their choice. To be eligible for a scholarship, students must have a family income that does not exceed 250% of the federal poverty line and must either be entering kindergarten or be enrolled in a public school with a C, D, F, or T letter grade during the year in which they apply.
Students with disabilities in some school districts may be eligible for the School Choice Program, which provides families with tuition assistance to attend eligible participating schools that offer special needs programs. Students wishing to attend a nonpublic school in parishes with a population of 190,000 or more are eligible for this program, which includes Caddo, Calcasieu, East Baton Rouge, Jefferson, Lafayette, Orleans and St.Tammany. Participating private schools must be eligible to receive state funding.
NonPublic School
In Louisiana, tens of thousands of students are enrolled in nonpublic schools.
Students may attend nonpublic schools approved by the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (Nonpublic School Seeking State Approval), an approved Home Study program, or a Nonpublic School Not Seeking State Approval. Nonpublic schools may, but are not required to, seek state approval.
Special Education - School Choice Video
Special Education: 10 Questions Should Parents Ask When Choosing A School
Featured Resource
Louisiana School Choice – FHF of GNO resource for families. School choice is the process of families choosing the K-12 educational options that best fit their children. Here, you will find all of the options available in Louisiana broken down in an easy, parent-friendly way.
Rev. 1/25/2024
