State Court Says Louisiana Voucher Program Violates State Constitution

In Louisiana Federation of Teachers v. State of Louisiana, (LA 19th Dist. Ct., Nov. 30, 2012), a Louisiana trial court held that the state's voucher program unconstitutionally diverts to nonpublic schools or entities funds which the state constitution's Minimum Foundation Program allocates to elementary and secondary public schools. The court said that its decision, however, does not foreclose "establishing educational programs that are funded outside the constitutional limitations of the Minimum Foundation Program...." Ponchartrain Newspapers reports more extensively on the testimony in the case, the decision and the reaction to it.