Education Bills Move Into High Gear for Legislative Session

As part of the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry’s weekly check-in, we delve into several educational bills currently navigating the legislative process with Director of Education & Workforce Development, Trade, Transportation & Tourism Councils, Mary Beth Hughes. One notable bill, HB 78, championed by Kim Carver, aims to streamline the authorization process for corporate charters. These charters often serve regions beyond their local school districts, accommodating students from multiple parishes. For instance, Women’s Hospital houses a corporate charter school called BASIS, which caters to employees from Livingston, Ascension, and East Baton Rouge parishes. The bill proposes granting corporate charters the option to apply directly to the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE) as Type 2 charters, in addition to seeking local school board approval. This change would facilitate smoother operations for such schools, benefiting both students and working parents.