The Louisiana Scholarship Program is saving the state millions of dollars, according to a new report by the Friedman Foundation for Educational Choice (FFEC).
Essentially, the school voucher program allows low-income students who are at failing schools (C-, D or F) to apply for a voucher to attend a high quality private school.
According to the FFEC report, in the first two years of school voucher program, the program saved Louisianans $12,656,527. And this only accounted for Orleans and Jefferson Parish, as those were the first two parishes to implement the program. Now, though, the school voucher program is functioning statewide.
Here is a breakdown of the state’s savings because of the school voucher program:
| Year | Number of voucher students | Total voucher cost | Total per-pupil cost | Total net savings |
| 2008-09 | 624 | $2,406,144 | $5,158,235 | $2,752,091 |
| 2009-10 | 1,194 | 5,134,200 | 9,758,844 | 4,624,644 |
| 2010-11 | 1,678 | 7,707,054 | 12,986,846 | 5,279,792 |
| TOTAL | 12,656,527 |
Across the country, the school voucher programs have saved approximately $1.7 billion over a 20 year period. Here’s a full chart of the 10 school voucher programs in place between 1990 and 2010. It includes the first school voucher program launched in the city of Milwaukee.
| State and Program Name | Year Launched | Total Savings to 2010-11 |
| Wisconsin – Milwaukee Parental Choice Program | 1990-91 | $238,487,986 |
| Ohio – Cleveland Scholarship Program | 1996-97 | $308,085,383 |
| Florida – John M. McKay Scholarships for Students with Disabilities Program | 1999-00 | $836,477,010 |
| Florida – Opportunity Scholarships | 1999-00 | $2,898,032 |
| D.C. – Opportunity Scholarship Program | 2004-05 | $21,653,621 |
| Ohio – Autism Scholarship Program | 2004-05 | $57,349,913 |
| Utah – Carson Smith Special Needs Scholarship Program | 2005-06 | $3,035,158 |
| Ohio – Educational Choice Scholarship Program | 2006-07 | $172,190,490 |
| Georgia – Georgia Special Needs Scholarship Program | 2007-08 | $51,030,401 |
| Louisiana – Louisiana Scholarship Program | 2008-09 | $12,656,527 |
| Cumulative Savings | $1,717,587,628 | |
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