Justice Department sues Louisiana over state's school voucher program

Aug. 26, 2013
Federal officials contend the voucher program has increased racial imbalance in many schools

The U.S. Justice Department is suing Louisiana to block 2014-15 vouchers for students in public school systems that are under federal desegregation orders. The New Orleans Times-Picayune reports that 34 school districts could be affected. The lawsuit seeks bar the state from assigning students in those systems to private schools unless a federal judge agrees to it. The first year of private school vouchers "impeded the desegregation process," the Justice Department contends. The voucher program lets low-income students in public schools graded C, D or F attend private schools at taxpayer expense. This year, 22 of the 34 systems under desegregation orders are sending some students to private schools on vouchers.

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Mike Kennedy Blogger | Writer

Mike Kennedy has written for AS&U since 1999.

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