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BESE committee hears LA Gator ESA implementation update; families to apply March 1, 2025
Summary
LDOE staff briefed the committee on implementation steps for the LA Gator ESA program signed into law this legislative session, saying schools will begin applying in late 2024 and families can apply starting March 1, 2025; the department will work with program administrator Odyssey and payment vendor Stripe.
Department staff gave the BESE Innovation and Turnaround Committee an implementation update on the LA Gator education savings account (ESA) program, outlining technology, vendor, communications and timeline milestones ahead of the program’s first year.
Caleb Moore, deputy chief of staff in the office of school choice and the department’s point person on LA Gator implementation, described the program as created in the most recent legislative session and signed into law by Governor Jeff Landry. He said LA Gator will provide funding to families of students not enrolled in public school to spend on qualified education expenses, including nonpublic school tuition and fees, and that initial participation will be limited by eligibility criteria before expanding in a later phase. "LA Gator will replace the current Louisiana scholarship program, and schools will begin applying in late 2024," he said, adding that families will be able to apply beginning March 1, 2025, to use funding in the 2025–26 school year.
Moore outlined implementation tasks: the department’s selected program administrator, Odyssey, will complete portal configuration and build a school sign-up portal and vendor portal; the parent/student eligibility tool and data-transfer work with school information systems will be completed; and the payment integration will use Stripe. He said LDOE and Odyssey are conducting weekly check-ins to monitor timelines, operating procedure creation, technology build-out, and communications. In December Odyssey will complete main configuration and the school sign-up portal will open for participating schools. The vendor portal will open in January and remain open through the program.
A committee member requested a detailed financial control structure and enforcement timeline so the board can be confident funds will be managed appropriately. Moore agreed to provide that information and to work with the program administrator and vendor on controls and reporting.
