School Choice Reportedly Caused Graduation Rates, College Acceptance To Skyrocket In Louisiana’s High Crime Areas
Louisiana’s school choice program is improving education outcomes for students disadvantaged by crime, economic disparities, and parents who did not complete their own education, a recent report found.
The state rolled out its GATOR Scholarship Program in 2025, which awards families scholarships to cover private school tuition and other education related costs. The study surveyed 105 families and 190 private schools and found that despite many of the private schools approved by the program existing in the same high crime areas as nearby public schools and serving large portions of low income students, students who attended the program’s schools were much more likely to graduate high school and go on to enroll in college.
The report, conducted independently by Studyville, found that of the families surveyed, 63.8% were considered economically disadvantaged, with more than half having household incomes below $50,000. In addition, a majority were single-parent households. Still, more than 85% of the families reported that their child’s academic performance has improved since starting the program.
Louisiana’s public school graduation rate sits around 80%, while the rate in GATOR program schools has reached 97.5%. More than 81% of students at GATOR schools went on to enroll in college compared to 62% of public school students in the state, and chronic absenteeism shrunk from 20.8% in public schools to 6.3% within the program’s schools.
https://ijr.com/school-choice-reportedly-caused-graduation-rates-college-acceptance-to-skyrocket-in-louisianas-high-crime-areas/
