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Louisiana Amendment 2, Education Excellence Fund Uses Amendment (October 2019)
| Louisiana Amendment 2 | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Election date October 12, 2019 | |
| Topic Education and State and local government budgets, spending and finance | |
Status Approved | |
| Type Constitutional amendment | Origin State legislature |
Louisiana Amendment 2, the Education Excellence Fund Uses Amendment, was on the ballot in Louisiana as a legislatively referred constitutional amendment on October 12, 2019. It was approved.
| A "yes" vote supported allowing for appropriations from the Education Excellence Fund (EEF) to the Louisiana Educational Television Authority (LETA), Thrive Academy, and laboratory schools operated by public colleges. |
| A "no" vote opposed this constitutional amendment, thus preventing appropriations from the EEF to the LETA, Thrive Academy, and laboratory schools operated by public colleges. |
Election results
|
Louisiana Amendment 2 |
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|---|---|---|---|---|
| Result | Votes | Percentage | ||
|
|
612,257 | 50.39% | ||
| No | 602,745 | 49.61% | ||
Overview
What did this measure do?
Amendment 2 allowed for appropriations from the Education Excellence Fund (EEF) to the Louisiana Educational Television Authority (LETA), Thrive Academy, and laboratory schools operated by public colleges.[1]
LETA provides educational television programming across the state. To read more about LETA and its finances, click here. Thrive Academy is a state-funded public charter boarding school in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. To read more about Thrive Academy, click here. Laboratory schools, or demonstration schools, are elementary and secondary (K-12) schools operated in association with or by universities and colleges used for providing future teachers or teacher-candidates with classroom teaching experience and fostering a place where new education practices may be tested. To read more about lab schools, click here.[2]
Amendment 2 was designed to appropriate funds as follows:
- Louisiana Educational Television Authority (LETA): $75,000 per year
- Thrive Academy: $75,000 per year plus an allocation for each pupil
- Laboratory schools: As a block grant on a per-pupil basis[3]
What is the Education Excellence Fund?
The Education Excellence Fund (EEF) is a trust fund within the Millenium Trust funded through money the state receives from tobacco settlements. Funds are appropriated by the Louisiana Department of Education to be used for purposes supporting "excellence in educational practice." To read more about the EEF, click here.[4]
Text of measure
Ballot title
The ballot title was as follows:[1]
| “ |
Do you support an amendment to provide for appropriations from the Education Excellence Fund for the Louisiana Educational Television Authority, Thrive Academy, and laboratory schools operated by public postsecondary education institutions? (Amends Article VII, Section 10.8(C)(3)(b), (c), and (g); Repeals Article VII, Section 10.8(C)(3)(d))[5] |
” |
Constitutional changes
- See also: Article VII, Louisiana Constitution
Amendment 2 amended Section 10.8(3) of Article VII of the Louisiana Constitution. The following underlined text was added and struck-through text was deleted:[1]
Note: Hover over the text and scroll to see the full text.
(3) Appropriations from the Education Excellence Fund shall be limited as follows:
- (a) Fifteen percent of monies available for appropriation in any fiscal year from the Education Excellence Fund shall be appropriated to the state superintendent of education for distribution on behalf of all children attending private elementary and secondary schools that have been approved by the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, both academically and as required for such school to receive money from the state.
- (b) Appropriations shall be made each year to the Louisiana Educational Television Authority in the amount of seventy-five thousand dollars and to the Louisiana School for the Deaf, the Louisiana School for the Visually Impaired, the Louisiana Special Education Center in Alexandria, the Louisiana Jimmy D. Long, Sr. School for Math, Science and the Arts, the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts and the Louis Armstrong High School for the Arts, and Thrive Academy, after such schools are operational, to provide for a payment to each school of seventy-five thousand dollars plus an allocation for each pupil equal to the average statewide per pupil amount provided each city, parish, and local school system pursuant to
Subsubparagraphs (d) andSubsubparagraph (e) of this Subparagraph.
- (c) Appropriations may be made for independent public schools
which have beenapproved by the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education or any city, parish, or other local school system, laboratory schools approved by the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education and operated by a public postsecondary education institution, and for alternative schools and programs which are authorized and approved by the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education but are not subject to the jurisdiction and management of any city, parish, or local school system, to provide for an allocation for each pupil, which shall be the average statewide per pupil amount provided in each city, parish, or local school system pursuant toSubsubparagraphs (d) andSubsubparagraph (e) of this Subparagraph.
(d) Beginning Fiscal Year 2000-2001 and for each fiscal year through the end of Fiscal Year 2006-2007, of the monies available for appropriation after providing for the purposes enumerated in Subsubparagraphs (a), (b), and (c) of this Subparagraph, the following appropriations shall be made to the state superintendent of education for distribution as follows:
(i) Thirty percent of the funds available to be divided equally among each city, parish, and other local school system.
(ii) Seventy percent of the funds available to be divided among each city, parish, and other local school system in amounts which are proportionate to each school's share of the total state share of the Minimum Foundation Program appropriation as contained in the most recent Minimum Foundation Program budget letter approved by the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education.
- (e) Beginning Fiscal Year 2007-2008 and for each fiscal year thereafter, of the monies available for appropriation after providing for the purposes enumerated in Subsubparagraphs (a), (b), and (c) of this Subparagraph, one hundred percent of the monies available for appropriation in any fiscal year shall be appropriated for each city, parish, and other local school system on a pro rata basis which is based on the ratio of the student population of that school or school system to that of the total state student population as contained in the most recent Minimum Foundation Program.
- (f) Monies appropriated pursuant to this Subparagraph shall be restricted to expenditure for pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade instructional enhancement for students, including early childhood education programs focused on enhancing the preparation of at-risk children for school, remedial instruction, and assistance to children who fail to achieve the required scores on any tests passage of which are required pursuant to state law or rule for advancement to a succeeding grade or other educational programs approved by the legislature. Expenditures for maintenance or renovation of buildings, capital improvements, and increases in employee salaries are prohibited. The state superintendent of education shall be responsible for allocating all money due private schools.
- (g) Each recipient
school or school systementity shall annually prepare and submit to the state Department of Education, hereinafter the "department", a prioritized plan for expenditure of funds it expects to receive in the coming year from the Education Excellence Fund. The plan shall include performance expectations to ensure accountability in the expenditure of such monies. The department shall review such plans for compliance with the requirements of this Subparagraph and to assure that the expenditure plans will support excellence in educational practice. No funds may be distributed toany school or school systema recipient entity until its plan has received both legislative and departmental approval as provided by law.
- (h) No amount appropriated as required in this Paragraph shall displace, replace, or supplant appropriations from the general fund for elementary and secondary education, including implementing the Minimum Foundation Program. This Subsubparagraph shall mean that no appropriation for any fiscal year from the Education Excellence Fund shall be made for any purpose for which a general fund appropriation was made in the previous year unless the total appropriations for the fiscal year from the state general fund for such purpose exceed general fund appropriations of the previous year. Nor shall any money allocated to a city or parish school board pursuant to this Paragraph displace, replace, or supplant locally generated revenue, which means that no allocation to any city or parish school board from the investment earnings attributable to the Education Excellence Fund shall be expended for any purpose for which a local revenue source was expended for that purpose for the previous year unless the total of the local revenue amount expended that fiscal year exceeds the total of such local revenue amounts for the previous fiscal year.
- (i) The treasurer shall maintain within the state treasury a record of the amounts appropriated and credited for each entity through appropriations authorized in this Subparagraph and which remain in the state treasury. Notwithstanding any other provisions of this constitution to the contrary, such amounts, and investment earnings attributable to such amounts, shall remain to the credit of each recipient entity at the close of each fiscal year.[5]
Readability score
- See also: Ballot measure readability scores, 2019
| Using the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level (FKGL and Flesch Reading Ease (FRE) formulas, Ballotpedia scored the readability of the ballot title and summary for this measure. Readability scores are designed to indicate the reading difficulty of text. The Flesch-Kincaid formulas account for the number of words, syllables, and sentences in a text; they do not account for the difficulty of the ideas in the text. The state legislature wrote the ballot language for this measure.
|
Support
If you are aware of any supporters or supporting arguments, please send an email with a link to editor@ballotpedia.org.
Rep. Stephen Carter (R-68) sponsored the amendment in the state legislature. The legislation putting the amendment on the ballot received unanimous approval in the state legislature.
Arguments
- The Public Affairs Research Council of Louisiana (PAR), a nonprofit organization, published arguments for and against each amendment on the ballot. PAR wrote the following argument in support of Amendment 2:[6]
| “ |
The Education Excellence Fund serves an important purpose and benefits the children at the schools it sponsors. The amendment adds three great schools that should have been a part of the original language. The lab schools’ omission was simply an oversight and the Thrive Academy was not in existence when the fund was created. These schools are worthy public institutions that serve students just as the other public schools that are already eligible for EEF support. The Louisiana Educational Television Authority, through LPB, provides programs of unmatched quality and access to many children across the state, particularly underserved children under six years of age. LETA already is included in the state’s special schools budget category under the Louisiana Department of Education.[5] |
” |
Opposition
If you are aware of any opponents or opposing arguments, please send an email with a link to editor@ballotpedia.org.
This amendment did not receive any no votes in the state legislature.
Arguments
- The Public Affairs Research Council of Louisiana (PAR), a nonprofit organization, published arguments for and against each amendment on the ballot. PAR wrote the following argument in opposition to Amendment 2:[6]
| “ |
This amendment would add yet more needless detail to Louisiana’s already cluttered Constitution. Many other special interests would like new revenue sources or financial protection by being included among the high-status beneficiaries of funds established in the Constitution. The lab schools have other sources of income, including substantial funding from the state Minimum Foundation Program and tuition, which is already aided by subsidies. The amendment is a good example of using the Constitution for minutia instead of for fundamental law. We are basically calling upon voters to perform the Legislature’s role of making appropriations by constitutionally allocating a few hundred thousand dollars of state money in a new direction. The better way would be to propose a different constitutional amendment that would let the Legislature or the state board of education allocate the funds in a manner most likely to support excellence in education.[5] |
” |
Campaign finance
| Total campaign contributions: | |
| Support: | $0.00 |
| Opposition: | $0.00 |
Ballotpedia did not identify any committees registered in support of or in opposition to the measure.
If you are aware of a committee registered to support or oppose this measure, please email editor@ballotpedia.org.
Media editorials
- See also: 2019 ballot measure media endorsements
Support
- The Advocate: “It’s about the same amount of money for each [school] and not much in the large scheme of billions spent on public education every year. Since it’s from a trust account and not the state’s general fund, it provoked no controversy and passed the Legislature unanimously.”[7]
- American Press: “Amendment 2 ... is designed to add schools to the list of those already benefiting from Louisiana's Education Excellence Fund. The American Press recommends a yes vote on the amendment.”[8]
- Gambit: “This amendment would add three deserving schools and the Louisiana Educational Television Authority (LETA) to the list of authorized recipients of funds from the state’s Educational Excellence Fund. ... We recommend voting YES on Amendment 2.”[9]
Opposition
If you are aware of media editorial boards in opposition to the constitutional amendment, please email the editorial link to editor@ballotpedia.org.
Background
Louisiana Education Excellence Fund
The Louisiana Education Excellence Fund (EEF) was created as a component of the Millenium Trust Fund in 1999. The Millenium Trust Fund was established through voter approval of the Louisiana Tobacco Settlement Fund Amendment (House Bill 640) of 1999. The Millenium Trust Fund contains two other funds alongside the EEF: the Health Excellence Fund and the Taylor Opportunity Program for Students (TOPS) Fund. Funds for the Millennium Trust Fund come from the tobacco settlement proceeds as prescribed by the Master Settlement Agreement (MSA) of 1998. According to the state treasury, the Millenium Trust Fund has a balance of about $1.4 billion. Funds are appropriated by the Louisiana Department of Education to be used for purposes supporting "excellence in educational practice." Of the funds, 85% is appropriated to local school systems and charter schools while the other 15% is distributed to certain approved non-public schools.[10] In 1998, Louisiana and 45 other states and territories entered into the MSA, an agreement between the states and large tobacco companies in which the tobacco companies make annual payments to the states to settle lawsuits filed by the states for costs incurred for treating the negative health effects of smoking.[11]
Going into the election, eligible recipients of EEF funds included the following:[4]
- Local educational agencies such as public and city school districts;
- Louisiana Special Schools;
- Brumfield vs. Dodd-approved non-public schools[12] and dioceses; and
- Charter schools.
EEF funds were allowed to be used for the following purposes:[4]
- Early childhood education programs focused on enhancing the preparation of at-risk children for school;
- Remedial instruction and assistance to children who fail to achieve the required scores on any tests, of which passage is required pursuant to state law or rule for advancement to a succeeding grade; and
- Other educational programs approved by the legislature, such as administration; extended instruction; instructional technology; personnel certification and professional development; pre-school instruction; school accountability and improvement; support services, and more.
Recipients were not allowed to use EEF funds to supplant any state general fund revenue or locally generated revenue.[4]
Louisiana Educational Television Authority (LETA)
LETA, established by the state legislature in 1971, operates the Louisiana Public Broadcasting Service (LPB). LETA provides educational television programming across the state and provides information during emergencies such as weather events like hurricanes and floods.[13] LETA broadcasts programs in New Orleans and operates stations in Alexandria, Baton Rouge, Lafayette, Lake Charles, Monroe, and Shreveport. LETA described its mission as "to provide intelligent, informative, educational and entertaining programming and to create content that showcases Louisiana’s unique history, people, places, and events." Films created by LETA have included Louisiana: A History, Louisiana Bicentennial, Alive! In America’s Delta, and Sunshine By The Stars.[2]
In a 2016 fiscal report, LETA wrote, "During the past 8 years, LETA has managed to continue to operate despite a general fund budget that has been cut every year and a steadily shrinking staff. Continued reductions in funding and in LETA’s most important resource, the talented and dedicated staff, hinder the agency’s ability to produce quality local programming, to offer professional development events for educators, to facilitate outreach activities and to offer online resources utilized by teachers, parents, and children of the state. Although LETA is a state agency, LETA’s budget is not sufficient to pay for the most basic operating expenses common to other state agencies, such as: printing; copier rental; postage meter rental and maintenance; professional dues and subscriptions; office supplies; and legal fees."[2]
According to LETA's 2018 financial statements, LETA reported revenue totaling $9.43 million ($5.53 million of which came from state appropriations) and expenses totaling $6.85 million. LETA’s total revenues increased by $2.06 million from 2017 to 2018, while state appropriations decreased by $215,242 from 2017 to 2018. LETA's expenses also decreased by $3,507,734 from 2017 to 2018.[14]
Thrive Academy
Thrive Academy is a state-funded public charter boarding school in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Students arrive on the school's campus on Sunday evenings and remain on the premises until Friday.[15]
Charter schools are public schools that are operated independently of public school systems, either by nonprofit or for-profit organizations. Although they are largely publicly funded, charter schools are exempt from many of the requirements imposed by state and local boards of education regarding hiring and curriculum. As of 2019, Louisiana had 156 charter schools with about 79,000 students.[16][17]
Laboratory schools
Laboratory schools, or demonstration schools, are elementary and secondary (K-12) schools operated in association with or by universities and colleges used for providing future teachers or teacher-candidates with classroom teaching experience and fostering a place where new education practices may be tested.[18]. According to the International Association of Laboratory Schools, lab schools are engaged in "practices of teacher training, curriculum development, research, professional development, and educational experimentation for the purpose of supporting members' schools and as a voice speaking for the improvement of learning for all children." IALS also says lab schools "reflect the diverse needs of the teaching professional and have often led the way in improving the science and art of teaching."[19]
According to the Daily Advertiser, Louisiana has lab schools operated under the Louisiana State University (LSU), Louisiana Tech, Northwestern State University (NSU), and Southern University and A&M College. The University of Louisiana at Lafayette was approved to create a lab school by the University of Louisiana System Board of Supervisors in 2017.[18]
Odd-year ballot measures in Louisiana
The following statistics are based on ballot measures between 1995 and 2018 in Louisiana:
- Ballots featured 185 constitutional amendments (including both odd and even years)
- An average of five measures appeared on odd-year statewide ballots (compared to an average of 10 measures for even-years)
- The number of ballot measures on odd-year statewide ballots ranged from zero to 16 (compared to even-year ranges of a minimum of four to a maximum of 24)
- Voters approved 75% (139 of 185) and rejected 25% (46 of 185) of the total number of constitutional amendments appearing on both odd and even-year ballots
| Legislatively-referred constitutional amendments, 1995-2018 | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total number | Approved | Percent approved | Defeated | Percent defeated | Odd-year average | Odd-year median | Odd-year minimum | Odd-year maximum | |
| 185 | 139 | 75.1% | 46 | 24.9% | 5.3 | 3.5 | 0 | 16 | |
Path to the ballot
- See also: Amending the Louisiana Constitution
In Louisiana, a two-thirds vote is needed in each chamber of the Louisiana State Legislature to refer a constitutional amendment to the ballot for voter consideration.
Rep. Stephen Carter (R-68) introduced the constitutional amendment as House Bill 62 (HB 62) on March 16, 2019. On May 13, 2019, the Louisiana House of Representatives approved HB 62.[20] The Louisiana State Senate voted to pass an amended HB 62 on June 3, 2019. The vote was 37-0 with two senators absent. As HB 62 was amended in the state Senate, a concurrence vote was needed in the state House. On June 5, the state House voted 95-0 with 10 members absent to approve the amended HB 62.
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How to cast a vote
- See also: Voting in Louisiana
Poll times
In Louisiana, polls are open from 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Central time for Tuesday elections. For Saturday elections, polls open at 7:00 a.m. If the polls close while a voter is in line, he or she will still be permitted to vote.[21][22]
Registration requirements
- Check your voter registration status here.
To vote in Louisiana, one must provide documentary proof of United States citizenship and be a resident of the state and parish in which they register. A voter must be at least 18 years old by Election Day.[23]
Registration completed via mail or in person must occur at least 30 days before Election Day. Registration completed online must occur at least 20 days before Election Day. Registrants must present a valid form of identification to register. Pre-registration is available beginning at age 16.[23]
Voters may register in person at any Registrar of Voters office or any of the following places:[23]
- Louisiana Office of Motor Vehicles
- Louisiana Department of Social Services
- WIC offices
- Food stamp offices
- Medicaid offices
- Offices and agencies serving people with disabilities
- Military recruitment offices
Automatic registration
Louisiana does not practice automatic voter registration.
Online registration
- See also: Online voter registration
Louisiana has implemented an online voter registration system. Residents can register to vote by visiting this website.
Same-day registration
Louisiana does not allow same-day voter registration.
Residency requirements
Louisiana law requires 20 days of residency in the state before a person may vote.
Verification of citizenship
Louisiana state law requires a voter registration applicant to provide proof of citizenship to register to vote. As of June 2025, the state had not implemented the requirement.[24][25]
All 49 states with voter registration systems require applicants to declare that they are U.S. citizens in order to register to vote in state and federal elections, under penalty of perjury or other punishment.[26] Seven states — Alabama, Arizona, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, New Hampshire, and Wyoming — have laws requiring verification of citizenship at the time of voter registration, whether in effect or not. In three states — California, Maryland, and Vermont — at least one local jurisdiction allows noncitizens to vote in some local elections. Noncitizens registering to vote in those elections must complete a voter registration application provided by the local jurisdiction and are not eligible to register as state or federal voters.
Verifying your registration
The site Geaux Vote, run by the Louisiana Secretary of State office, allows residents to check their voter registration status online.
Voter ID requirements
Louisiana requires voters to present photo identification while voting.[27]
Voters can present the following forms of identification. This list was current as of August 14, 2024. Click here to ensure you have the most current information.
- Louisiana driver's license
- Louisiana special identification card
- LA Wallet digital driver's license
- Military ID or other generally recognized picture identification card that contains the name and signature of the voter
Voters who do not have accepted ID may vote by completing a voter identification affidavit. By law, voters who sign an affidavit may be challenged.[28]
Registered voters can bring their voter information card to the Office of Motor Vehicles to receive a free Louisiana special identification card.[27]
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Louisiana State Legislature, "HB 62," accessed May 17, 2019
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Louisiana House Fiscal, "Department Report for HCR 25 of 2016," accessed June 26, 2019
- ↑ Louisiana Department of Education, "Minimum Foundation Program," accessed June 28, 2019
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Louisiana Department of Education, "EDUCATION EXCELLENCE FUND (EEF)," accessed June 24, 2019
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source. Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; name "quotedisclaimer" defined multiple times with different content Cite error: Invalid<ref>tag; name "quotedisclaimer" defined multiple times with different content Cite error: Invalid<ref>tag; name "quotedisclaimer" defined multiple times with different content - ↑ 6.0 6.1 Public Affairs Research Council of Louisiana, "PAR Guide to the 2019 Constitutional Amendments," accessed October 3, 2019
- ↑ The Advocate, “Our Views: Approve all 4 Louisiana constitutional amendments,” published September 24, 2019
- ↑ American Press, “Second amendment would benefit many children across La.,” published September 25, 2019
- ↑ Gambit, “Gambit's endorsements in the 2019 fall elections,” published September 27, 2019
- ↑ Louisiana Treasury, "Investments," accessed June 24, 2019
- ↑ Louisiana Attorney General, "Tobacco enforcement," accessed June 24, 2019
- ↑ According to the Louisiana Department of Education, such schools must be verified to not use "racially discriminatory policies and practices"
- ↑ Louisiana Public Broadcasting Service, "Reports," accessed June 24, 2019
- ↑ Louisiana Public Broadcasting, "FY18 LETA Audited Financial Statement," accessed June 26, 2019
- ↑ Thrive Academy Baton Rouge, "FAQ," accessed June 26, 2019
- ↑ Louisiana Department of Education, "Charter school library," accessed June 26, 2019
- ↑ National Alliance for Public Charter Schools," accessed June 26, 2019
- ↑ 18.0 18.1 The Advertiser, "Take a look at Louisiana lab schools," accessed June 26, 2019
- ↑ International Association of Laboratory Schools, "About us," accessed June 26, 2019
- ↑ Louisiana State Legislature, "HB 62 Overview," accessed May 17, 2019
- ↑ Louisiana Secretary of State, "FAQ: Voting on Election Day," accessed August 15, 2024
- ↑ Louisiana Secretary of State, "Vote on Election Day," accessed August 15, 2024
- ↑ 23.0 23.1 23.2 Louisiana Secretary of State, "Register to Vote," accessed August 15, 2024
- ↑ WWNO, "Louisiana now requires proof of citizenship to vote, but hasn’t issued any guidance," January 15, 2025
- ↑ Louisiana Secretary of State, "Louisiana Voter Registration Application," accessed June 30, 2025
- ↑ Under federal law, the national mail voter registration application (a version of which is in use in all states with voter registration systems) requires applicants to indicate that they are U.S. citizens in order to complete an application to vote in state or federal elections, but does not require voters to provide documentary proof of citizenship. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, the application "may require only the minimum amount of information necessary to prevent duplicate voter registrations and permit State officials both to determine the eligibility of the applicant to vote and to administer the voting process."
- ↑ 27.0 27.1 Louisiana Secretary of State, "Vote on Election Day," accessed August 15, 2024
- ↑ Louisiana Secretary of State, "Louisiana voters' bill of rights and voting information," accessed August 15, 2024
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