STATE OF EDUCATION FUNDING

Louisiana

Fair school funding systems ensure that districts, schools, and ultimately students receive significant additional funding according to their specific needs. Providing high-quality learning opportunities for students living in poverty, English learners, students with disabilities, and rural students requires additional resources.

According to The Education Trust’s State of Funding Equity, in Louisiana:

  • The highest poverty districts receive $940 or 7.8% less state and local revenue than the lowest poverty districts.
  • The districts serving the most students of color receive $1,237 or 11% more state and local revenue per student than the districts serving the fewest students of color.
  • The districts serving the most English learners receive $198 or 1.7% less state and local revenue per student than the districts serving the fewest English learners.

For more information about how these data compare with other states or district specific information, see The Education Trust’s State of Funding Equity report.

Learn more about
how Louisiana
funds students

According to EdBuild, “Louisiana has a hybrid funding formula, incorporating both resource-based and student-based elements. It assigns a cost to the education of a student with no special needs or services, called a base amount, and provides increased funding to educate specific categories of students. The categories of students generating supplemental funding in Louisiana are students in certain grade levels, English-language learners, students from low-income households, students with disabilities, students identified as gifted, students enrolled in career and technical education programs, and students in small school districts. It also provides funding allocations for specific resource costs, including certain staff and operating costs.”

The Education Law Center’s 2023 Making the Grade Report rated Alabama’s school funding:

  • D on per-pupil funding relative to the national average.
  • D on the percentage difference in per-pupil funding in high-poverty districts relative to low-poverty districts.
  • C on the PK-12 funding as a percentage of state GDP.
AT A GLANCE

Louisiana

41.4%11.3%41.3%3.7%
Native American
Asian
Black
Hispanic
White
Hawaiian/Pacific Islander
Multiracial

Student Enrollment by Race/Ethnicity, 2023-24

$15,633$14,928Other statesOther statesLouisianaLouisiana
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Per-Pupil Expenditures, Fiscal Year 2021-22

AT A GLANCE

Louisiana

Ethnicity

Per-Pupil Expenditures

How fair is
Louisiana’s Funding?

Strong schools build strong communities, and that starts with fair and transparent funding. Our State Ratings Rubric shows how Louisiana is doing when it comes to making sure every student gets the resources they need to thrive. Using criteria grounded in research, best practices, and what we know works for students, we rate Louisiana across five key areas: whether the state funds students adequately, funds student needs equitably, funds districts appropriately, funds students transparently and effectively, and keeps public dollars in public schools.

To explore ratings across Southern states and learn more about the criteria we use, click here.

Meets Criteria
Partially Meets Criteria
Doesn’t Meet Criteria
ComponentDescriptionRatingExplanation
FUND STUDENTS ADEQUATELY
Funding AdequacyPer student funding is at or above the national average ($16,645).
Yellow
Per student funding was $234 less than the national average in the 2021-22 school year.
Yearly IncreasesBase funding for all students increases every year to account for inflation.
Red
The per-student base amount did not increase for the 2025-26 school year, staying at $4,015.
Progressive Tax PoliciesThe state maintains healthy revenue sources for schools.
Red
Legislation passed in 2024 to replace the state’s income tax with a flat rate of 3%.
FUND STUDENT NEEDS EQUITABLY
Student-Based FormulaThe funding formula is primarily student-based.
Yellow
Hybrid formula.
Students from Low-Income BackgroundsThe state provides additional funds for students from low-income backgrounds.
Yellow
22% weight.
English LearnersThe state provides additional funds for English Learners.
Yellow
22% weight.
Students with DisabilitiesThe state provides additional funds for students with disabilities, based on their needs.
Yellow
150% weight, regardless of the type of disability.
FUND DISTRICTS APPROPRIATELY
Cost SharingThe state requires local governments to share the cost based on their ability to pay.
Yellow
Local governments contribute 35% on average, based on their revenue from property, sales, and other taxes.
Local Revenue CapThe state limits wealthy districts from contributing excessively more than other districts.
Yellow
The state sets a cap that voters can override.
Rural DistrictsSmall districts and districts with few students per square mile ("sparse districts") receive additional funds.
Yellow
Additional funding for sparse districts, ranging from 1% to 20% per student.
Concentrated PovertyDistricts with high concentrations of poverty receive additional funds.
Red
No additional funding
FUND STUDENTS TRANSPARENTLY & EFFECTIVELY
Formula TransparencyThe funding formula is easy to understand and clearly explained.
Yellow
The formula is easy to understand, but the state education department's handbook has not been published since 2012.
Funding DataThe state shares detailed, timely, and user-friendly public data on districts’ funding.
Red
Data is not timely, not user-friendly, and does not show how district funding was calculated.
District Spending PlansThe state requires districts to share public reports about how they invest funds to meet students' needs.
Yellow
The K-12 School Transparency Project does not show how specific investments relate to student groups with additional funding.
Formula ReviewThe state requires a clear, stakeholder-led process to evaluate the formula and recommend improvements.
Green
A task force of legislators, district staff, and community members recommends yearly changes to the formula and provides opportunities for public comment.
FUND PUBLIC SCHOOLS EXCLUSIVELY
VouchersThe state does not divert public funds to private schools through voucher programs, education savings accounts, or scholarship tax credits.
Red
The Louisiana Giving All True Opportunity to Rise Scholarship program provides vouchers with near-universal eligibility and no accountability requirements.
Sources: EdBuild, EdBuild, Education Law Center, EdFund, Bellwether, Education Commission of the States

Who’s Who

in Louisiana

Legislature
The Louisiana State Legislature is a bicameral body. The Louisiana House of Representatives has 105 members and the State Senate has 39 members. Both the House and the Senate have standing Education Policy committees that hear all related education legislation. In 2024, the legislature will convene March 11, 2024 and adjourn no later than June 3, 2024.

State Superintendent of Education
The Louisiana State Superintendent of Education is appointed by the Louisiana State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE). The State Superintendent oversees the Louisiana Department of Education and the state’s PK-12 schools.

State Board of Education
The Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE) is composed of 11 members. Eight of the members are elected from districts that are specific to BESE. The remaining three members are appointed by the governor of Louisiana to represent the state at-large. BESE is the policy-making body governing the elementary and secondary schools of Louisiana.