Senate reviews FY26 budgets for special‑education and state‑sponsored schools; LSMSA seeks salary‑schedule funding

Senate Fiscal Services and representatives from the Special School District and state‑sponsored schools briefed the Senate Committee on Finance on FY26 budget requests and program performance on May 21. May Hsu of Senate Fiscal delivered the department‑level overview; leaders from each school described operational results and specific needs.

May Hsu summarized FY26 recommendations for the department that houses the Special School District and five special schools: the Special School District (Louisiana School for the Deaf, Louisiana School for the Visually Impaired, special‑schools programs), the Jimmy D. Long Sr. Louisiana School for Math, Science and the Arts (LSMSA), Thrive Academy, Ecole Pointe‑au‑Chien, Louisiana Educational Television Authority (LPB) and the New Orleans Center for the Creative Arts (NOCA). Hsu noted that the department's FY26 budget is largely general‑funded (about 60%) and includes both discretionary and nondiscretionary items; the Special School District showed a small net reduction in TO positions driven by vacancies.

Special School District leaders said they used attrition savings to unify teacher/para pay across programs and reported improved school performance indicators; the district serves residential students at the deaf and visually impaired campuses and operates statewide programs in juvenile and developmental facilities.

LSMSA officials described both program strengths and facilities and compensation needs. Executive Director Steve Horton and Deputy Director Bill Ebarb told the committee LSMSA delivers college‑level coursework and said students graduate with large amounts of merit‑based college aid. They asked the legislature to fund the school's board‑adopted salary schedule (a statutory requirement under referenced state statute) and related benefits to retain faculty with masters and doctoral credentials. Ebarb also described one‑time capital needs that the Division of Administration has partially addressed for FY26 (window replacements, dormitory shower replacement, auditorium repairs) and said campus security and resource officer funding will be discussed in future appropriations.

Thrive Academy Superintendent Paul Sampson presented student outcomes showing the school outperformed economic peers on several LEAP exams and was designated a top gains honoree by the state. Sampson also summarized an economic‑impact study prepared for the school: attending Thrive was projected to increase lifetime earnings for the class of 2025 and produce state savings from reduced social‑services dependence. Sampson provided concrete metrics (college plans for graduates, college credit earned) and asked continued support for the boarding model that serves students from underresourced communities.

Ecole Pointe‑au‑Chien representatives said the bilingual French immersion elementary school is in year two of state operations, is expanding one grade per year, and has a plan to lower per‑pupil state cost as enrollment rises. NOCA President Silas Cooper and CFO Anna Schwab described NOCA's artist‑apprentice model, outreach into parishes statewide, and a per‑student cost that falls substantially when part‑time and outreach participants are included.

Committee members asked for follow‑up materials: LSMSA was asked for a precise estimate to fully fund the salary schedule and a prioritized list of facility repairs; Thrive and Pointe‑au‑Chien were asked for enrollment projections and per‑pupil cost trajectories; NOCA agreed to provide additional breakdowns showing outreach participants and effective per‑student state cost.