La. Admin. Code tit. 28 § CLIII-303

Current through Register Vol. 50, No. 11, November 20, 2024

Section CLIII-303 - Student Enrollment Process

A. In administering the program, the department shall:

1. determine student eligibility for scholarships;

2. accept applications from parents or legal guardians of eligible students which indicate the parent or legal guardian's choice(s) of participating schools;

3. process applications from students:

a. 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 conduct a random selection process to award scholarships that provides each eligible student an equal opportunity for selection based on students' indicated preferences;

b. only after each student who attended or otherwise would be attending a public school that received a letter grade of "D" or "F" or any variation thereof has been placed at a participating school which the parent or legal guardian indicated as a choice on the eligible student's application shall a student who attended a public school that received a letter grade of "C" or any variation thereof be entered into the random selection process. At such time, each student who attended or otherwise would be attending a public school that received a letter grade of "C" or any variation thereof shall be provided an equal opportunity for selection into that particular school;

c. the department may give preference to the following:

i. siblings of students already enrolled in the participating school;

ii. students enrolled in the Nonpublic School Early Childhood Development Program at the participating school;

iii. participating students transferring from an ineligible school; and

iv. students residing in the parishes as indicated pursuant to the notice of intent, if applicable;

d. for the purposes of the random selection process, twins, triplets, quadruplets, and other such multiple births shall constitute one individual;

4. notify parents or legal guardians of eligible students who applied for scholarships whether they have been awarded a scholarship and placed at a particular participating school;

5. notify participating schools of the roster of students assigned through the program;

6. the department will remit scholarship payments to participating schools on behalf of a scholarship recipient. See Chapter 5 of this Bulletin for more details;

7. conduct site visits each school year at schools that receive a scholarship cohort index below 50 in the most recent accountability cycle.

B. Parent/Legal Guardian Obligations

1. Once students are notified of their scholarship award to a participating school, their parents or legal guardians shall have fourteen days to notify the participating school of their intention to enroll their student.

2. If a scholarship recipient enrolled in a participating nonpublic school would have been entitled to receive special education services in the public school he would otherwise be attending, his parent or legal guardian shall acknowledge in writing, as part of the enrollment process that the parent or legal guardian agrees to accept only such services as are available to all students enrolled in the nonpublic school.

3. Enrollment of a scholarship recipient in a participating school constitutes acceptance of any such rules, policies, and procedures of such school, including but not limited to academic policies, disciplinary rules, and procedures of the school.

C. LEA Obligations

1. Each local school system shall conduct its annual kindergarten enrollment process in accordance with the department's timeline and shall report such enrollment to the department prior to the program enrollment process.

2. Each local school system shall include and identify scholarship recipients in its student information system, as determined by the department.

D. Participating School Obligations

1. Participating schools shall:

a. not discriminate against a child with special educational needs during the program admissions process. However, a participating nonpublic school is required to offer only those services that it already provides or such services as necessary to assist students with special needs that it can provide with minor adjustments;

b. provide assistance with the student application process, as determined by the department;

c. provide an assurance to the department accepting responsibility for costs associated with any participating students enrolled who are found to be ineligible to participate in the program;

d. inform the parent or legal guardian of a scholarship recipient of any and all rules, policies, and procedures of such school, including but not limited to academic policies, disciplinary rules, and procedures of the school. Furthermore, the parent/legal guardian shall acknowledge, in writing, the policies, rules, and procedures that have been provided.

La. Admin. Code tit. 28, § CLIII-303

Promulgated by the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, LR 38:3130 (December 2012), Amended LR 4829 (1/1/2022).

AUTHORITY NOTE: Promulgated in accordance with R.S.17:6 and R.S. 17:4025.