By Ben Velderman
EAGnews.org

BATON ROUGE, La. – When Louisiana’s top education officials meet today, they are expected to approve a set of streamlined rules that will make it less cumbersome for private schools to participate in the state’s new voucher program.

Under the current rules, private schools must undergo an annual review from the state in order to qualify for the voucher program, reports The Advocate.

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But under a proposal by State Superintendent of Education John White, private schools that are accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) or the National Association of Independent Schools would only need to re-qualify with the state of Louisiana every five years, according to the news site.

State accreditation acts as a kind of seal of approval for schools, ensuring families, colleges and employers that students are receiving an education that meets or exceeds state standards.

Private schools must already undergo a thorough review from SACS or NAIS in order to receive accreditation, making the state’s request for duplicate paperwork unnecessary, White told The Advocate.

“When we request large amounts of paperwork, which is what is currently required in our process, we take time away from educating,” he explained.

Schools that opt for accreditation from other third-party sources will have to submit those reviews for inspection by state officials.

Under Louisiana’s new voucher plan, which was passed into law earlier this year, “students who attend public schools rated C, D and F, and who meet income rules, can qualify for vouchers to pay for tuition and mandatory fees” at private schools, The Advocate reports.

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Louisiana currently has 376 nonpublic schools that are confirmed eligible for the voucher program, but only 117 of those schools are actively participating in the program, reports the Associated Press.