More than 91 Percent of Parents Approve of Their Child’s Scholarship School

Annual parental choice survey finds an overwhelming majority of parents approve of academic gains and support Louisiana’s school choice program 

More than 91 percent of parents participating in the Louisiana Scholarship Program say they are satisfied with every aspect of the program, which allows students to escape failing or underperforming schools by switching to the participating private school of their choice.

The Louisiana Federation for Children(LFC), the state’s voice for educational choice, along with the Black Alliance for Educational Options(BAEO), a national organization advocating for parental choice on behalf of low-income and working-class black families, today announced the results of the annual Parental Satisfaction Survey.

The survey found that 91.2 percent of parents are satisfied or very satisfied with their child’s scholarship school, and 91.6 percent recognize that the program benefits their child academically.

“The results released today provide clear evidence that the Louisiana Scholarship Program is working, giving Louisiana families access to a high-quality education in a safe and secure learning environment,” said Ann Duplessis, President of the Louisiana Federation for Children. “Parents, who know what is best for their children, have indicated they are overwhelmingly satisfied with their child’s school.”

“There is no other voice that is more critical in the education of a child than that of a parent. As the survey shows, parents are pleased with their scholarship schools and like the education their children are receiving. The Louisiana Scholarship Program is a lifeline for many of our families. BAEO believes in the program and we will continue to fight for parental choice options like the Louisiana Scholarship Program for the families we serve,” said Stacy Martin, State Director, Louisiana BAEO.

Survey highlights:

• 91.2 percent of parents are satisfied or very satisfied their child’s current scholarship school.
• 91.6 percent of parents are happy with their child’s academic performance at his/her scholarship school.
• 99.1 percent of parents say their child feels safe in his/her scholarship school.
• 98.4 percent of parents say they and their children feel welcome at their child’s current scholarship school.

“I don’t know where my kids would be right now without the Louisiana Scholarship Program. It’s great. I have never seen them this happy, this excited. They’re just ready to get out the door and go to school.”
LaShonda Eisley, whose sons Anthony and Ta’Zarious attend Greater Baton Rouge Hope Academy

The annual survey, conducted by LFC and BAEO, is one of the most comprehensive parental satisfaction surveys, with more than 1,500 responses.

The Louisiana Scholarship Program received more than 13,000 applications from parents for the 2014-2015 school year. 7,632 students were awarded a scholarship to attend 131 schools in 47 school districts across the state.

Enacted in 2008 by a bipartisan group of legislators, the Louisiana Scholarship Program has the strongest and most transparent accountability measures of any program in the nation. Every child in the program comes from a low-income family, and 89 percent of students in the program are minority students, giving many of Louisiana’s most vulnerable students the opportunity to choose the education that best fits their individual needs.

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The Louisiana Federation for Children(LFC), the state’s voice for educational choice, is a project of the American Federation for Children and the Alliance for School Choice. LFC is dedicated to promoting educational choice by protecting, growing and expanding scholarship programs for low and middle-income children.

Ann Duplessis is a former state legislator where she served on the Senate Education Committee and fought successfully to expand educational options for Louisiana’s children by authoring and supporting numerous pieces of school choice legislation. Duplessis resides in New Orleans and remains active in numerous civic activities.