Americans have known for quite a while that the state of the public education system is dire. Powerful teachers' unions that don't care about educating students, merely indoctrinating them, are at the heart of that dire condition. The fight for school choice has also gone on for quite a while because parents know the outcomes for their kids, when given that choice, will be good ones. Those good outcomes are being realized in Louisiana due to a program aimed at the state's most at-risk students.
Every child deserves access to an education that works for them.
— Secretary Linda McMahon (@EDSecMcMahon) March 10, 2026
I support @LAGovJeffLandry's proposal to double funding for the already successful GATOR program, which will expand school choice for families across Louisiana.
When parents are empowered, students succeed!
In 2025, Louisiana began the Giving All True Opportunity to Rise, or GATOR, program. The program awards scholarships to families that will cover the cost of private school tuition and other related costs. A recent independent study on the program was done by Studyville, and the results are what you might expect when parents are given a choice in their child's education.
READ MORE: Unlike Biden, Trump Honors National School Choice Week
The study looked at 105 families and 190 private schools, many of them in the same high-crime areas as their public school counterparts. Of the families surveyed, 63.8 percent were considered low income. More than half of those households had annual incomes less than $50,000, and were single-parent households. But over 85 percent of those families stated that their student's academic performance had improved since joining the program.
That is just the start of the good news. The graduation rate for Louisiana's public schools sits at around 80 percent. The rate in GATOR program schools is roughly 97.5 percent. College enrollment among GATOR students was more than 81 percent, compared to public school students at 62 percent. Chronic absenteeism hovered around 20.8 percent in public schools, but plummeted to just 6.3 percent in GATOR schools. Add to that, smaller private school class sizes, more counselors who focus on college and career support, and parents more involved with their child's school.
Thank you to @A1Policy for their unwavering support of the LA GATOR Program.
— Governor Jeff Landry (@LAGovJeffLandry) April 27, 2026
“Parents should not face barriers when considering the best education for their children, and options like GATOR put parents firmly in the driver's seat. Zip code and income should not dictate the… pic.twitter.com/ULYdh53IuL
Thank you to @A1Policy for their unwavering support of the LA GATOR Program.
“Parents should not face barriers when considering the best education for their children, and options like GATOR put parents firmly in the driver's seat. Zip code and income should not dictate the education their children receive.”
The Studyville survey also found that the GATOR program spent less per student at an average of $7,220, compared to taxpayers who foot the bill per student in public school at around $9,568. Currently, 5,546 students are participating, but 40,000 have applied.
A safe school environment may be something many parents think they have to move out of their communities to find. Not so. GATOR schools have higher teacher-to-student ratios, which helps foster an environment that focuses on learning. GATOR schools also reported 95 percent fewer incidences of bullying. Two-thirds of parents said their child's conduct had improved since they began attending a GATOR school.
ALSO READ: School Choice Works, Every Time It's Tried
This is all great news, but what's the downside? There is the argument that private schools in Louisiana are not required to take standardized tests, which may leave actual outcomes unknown. But Studyville's survey showed that tracking criteria like graduation rates, attendance, and college enrollment, it gave private schools accountability to the state.
The GATOR program may get a big boost from Gov. Jeff Landry (R), who wants to double the funding for the program in the 2027 state budget. As usual, what's good for students is bad for teachers' unions.
The Louisiana House Appropriations committee just approved $87 million for the LA GATOR program. This doubles the programs funding which could help families on the program’s waitlist. #laleg
— EdChoice (@edchoice) April 13, 2026
Editor's Note: President Trump is fighting to ensure America's kids get the education they deserve.
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