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State superintendent reports federal waiver approval, previews federal rules for education tax credit and cites K–3 literacy gains
Summary
State Superintendent Dr. Brumley told the BESE board that federal rules for the Education Freedom Tax Credit (federal SGO/STO guidance) were previewed in Washington; he reported a 16.5% increase on the K–3 literacy screener and that the state received an SEA waiver covering about $18–19 million.
State Superintendent Dr. Brumley told the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education at its June meeting that he attended federal meetings in Washington, D.C., for an early preview of IRS and Treasury rules governing the Education Freedom Tax Credit program and that Louisiana has been opted into the program by the governor.
The superintendent said the federal guidance will frame how contributions channeled through scholarship-granting organizations (referred to in the presentation as STOs and federally as SGOs) will be treated for tax credit purposes. "I was able to interact with some IRS attorneys and individuals from Treasury and ED on the rules for this program," he said, and distributed a summary fact sheet to board members.
Dr. Brumley also reported results from state K–3 literacy screening: the board heard that the state saw a 16.5% increase over the school year in the share of students reaching the screener benchmark and that, at the end of the year, approximately two-thirds of students statewide were reading at or above grade level. "We saw a 16.5% increase over the course of the year for students reaching that level of proficiency," he said. He added that students with disabilities posted an over‑10% increase in proficiency on the same screener.
The superintendent announced that Louisiana was the second state to receive an SEA waiver that grants flexibility in how certain federal funds can be spent; he said the waiver covers roughly "$18 or 19 million dollars" that the department helped appropriate. "It's not an end-all, but it's good that the education department is working to give states that have earned it the ability to have some additional flexibility," he told the board.
Dr. Brumley also briefly described attending a national civics competition event and thanked the board for its policy work, linking board actions to gains at the classroom level.
Board members thanked Dr. Brumley and LDOE staff for their work; no board action was required on the superintendent report at the meeting.
