Vouchers Fight Between DOJ, Louisiana
Posted: 09/17/2013 1:02 pm EDT | Updated: 09/17/2013 1:21 pm EDT
House Republicans are stepping into the legal battle over school vouchers in Louisiana.
On Tuesday, a group of high-ranking GOP legislators wrote Attorney General Eric Holder to argue that the Department of Justice lawsuit over the vouchers will force Louisiana students to "remain in failing schools." The group -- which includes House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio), Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) and Rep. John Kline (R-Minn.), chairman of the Education and the Workforce Committee -- also charged that the DOJ suit could "cause other states to feel pressured to shut down similar initiatives that provide countless children the opportunity to receive a better education."
School voucher systems use taxpayer dollars to help students attend private, often religious schools. In August, DOJ sued the state of Louisiana, seeking to block implementation of its voucher program starting next school year in the 34 Louisiana school districts under desegregation orders. The department argues that "the loss of students through the voucher program reversed much of the process made toward integration."
Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal (R) has championed vouchers, arguing that they can help poor students overcome their circumstances. In 2012, the state created a voucher system for about 380,000 low-income students enrolled in schools that received a C
Posted: 09/17/2013 1:02 pm EDT | Updated: 09/17/2013 1:21 pm EDT
