2011 Louisiana Laws
Revised Statutes
TITLE 17 — Education
RS 17:4015 — Program administration

§4015. Program administration

In administering the program pursuant to this Chapter, the department shall:

(1) Determine student eligibility for scholarships.

(2) Receive the notice of intent from schools seeking to participate in the program, qualify such schools for participation in the program, and determine the number of available seats, by grade, at participating schools.

(3)(a) Accept applications from parents and other legal guardians of eligible students and award scholarships to eligible students who submit applications, up to the number of available seats in each grade at all participating schools.

(b) In the event there are more eligible students who submit applications than there are available seats at participating schools for any grade, the department shall utilize a random selection process to award scholarships that provides each eligible student an equal opportunity for selection.

(4) Notify parents and other legal guardians of eligible students who applied for scholarships whether they have been awarded a scholarship and of the process that must be followed to enroll in a participating school.

(5) Remit scholarship payments to participating schools on behalf of a scholarship recipient.

(6) Receive independent financial audits from participating nonpublic schools as required by this Chapter.

(7) In the event that there are more scholarship recipients applying for enrollment in a participating school than there are available seats, ensure that the school shall select scholarship recipients for admission utilizing a random selection process that provides each scholarship recipient with an equal opportunity for selection. The department shall establish a timeline that coordinates a random selection process at all participating schools and shall ensure that each participating school adopts procedures for conducting such random selection process and notifies the parents or legal guardians of scholarship recipients of the procedures to be followed should a random selection process be required.

(8) For students enrolled in the program, annually verify the eligibility status of each student and notify his parent or other legal guardian of his status by not later than April thirtieth or a date determined by the department that would provide students who are no longer eligible for a scholarship sufficient time to apply to another school within the covered district.

(9) Provide each scholarship recipient and their parent or legal guardian with a list of schools participating in the program each year.

(10)(a) Place any participating school that fails to comply with the audit provisions pursuant to R.S. 17:4022(4) on probation for a period of one year during which such school shall not be permitted to enroll additional scholarship recipients.

(b) If such school has not come into full compliance by the end of the one-year probationary period, the school shall be ineligible to participate in the program until such time as the department has determined that the school is in full compliance.

(c) The department shall assist any scholarship recipient attending a school that is no longer eligible to participate in the program to transfer to another participating school, provided such school has sufficient capacity at the appropriate grade level.

Acts 2008, No. 509, §1, eff. June 25, 2008.