Families Seek Clarity on Gator Scholarships
Erin Bendily from the Pelican Institute led a sharp conversation at the Solutions Summit about school choice and the direction of K-12 education in Louisiana. She opened with the Gator Scholarship Program, which now sits in its application season for the 2026–2027 school year. Families across the state want answers about funding, availability, and long-term stability. Thousands of applicants already stepped forward, and lawmakers now face a clear choice: honor the commitment they made to parents or slow down the program’s growth.
Bendily argued that lawmakers created this program with the promise of real opportunity, and families want that promise to hold. She noted that most applicants came from groups the state already funds through the public school system. Those families want the power to decide where their children learn, and the scholarship gives them that power.
School Choice Gains Momentum Across Louisiana
Bendily moved next to public school open enrollment. She explained how families want more freedom to choose the school that best fits their child, even if it sits beyond an attendance zone. Lafayette, Tangipahoa, and Rapides already operate as choice-based districts, and their examples show that the model works. Bendily urged other districts to expand options and build stronger partnerships with parents.
She emphasized that school choice does not eliminate neighborhood schools. Families who prefer their local school will stay there. Choice simply gives parents more paths, especially when a child needs a different environment or a school that offers specialized programs.
A Call for Priorities, Not Excuses
Bendily closed with a direct point: Louisiana found more than a billion dollars in savings after the governor streamlined state programs. She argued that the state can support school choice if leaders treat it as a priority. She urged lawmakers to keep momentum, not retreat, and to give families the options they need to stay in Louisiana and thrive.