By Ashleigh Costello
EAGnews.org

BATON ROUGE, La. – Louisiana families are voicing their support for Gov. Bobby Jindal’s recent expansion of the  state’s school voucher program, also known as Act 2.

Valerie Evans, a single mother, said she supported the voucher program because it permitted her to transfer her 11-year-old son from a failing New Orleans public school and into a safer Catholic school, reports theadvocate.com.

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“We need to make sure we stand up for something that’s going to give us the right results,” Evans told  a news conference outside the 19th Judicial District Courthouse in Baton Rouge.

Last month, the Louisiana Federation of Teachers, the Louisiana Association of Educators and the Louisiana School Boards Association filed suit attacking the legality of the voucher program and other  education reform laws spearheaded by Gov. Jindal,   The organizations object to the state’s financing formula to pay for the tuition for some students to attend private and parochial schools.

That’s because school districts and teachers unions would lose money as more students opted for better performing private schools.

But the parents of the state are interested in children, not money.

On Monday, Evans and fellow parent Kendra Palmer joined the Black Alliance for Educational Options and the Alliance for School Choice to file a court petition on behalf of the state.

“I believe that our fight for a quality education is paramount,” Evans added.  “This is a good thing Gov. Jindal has done.”

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In order to qualify for the voucher program, children must have attended a public school rated “C,” “D,” or “F” by the state and come from a household not exceeding 250 percent of the federal poverty guideline ($57,625 for a family of four), reports the news site.

Since the recent enactment of the voucher bill, public support has been widespread.  According to Bill Maurer, executive director for the Institute for Justice Washington Chapter, more than 5,000 new applications have been received in addition to renewal applications from the nearly 2,000 families in the pre-existing New Orleans program.

“The stakes could not be higher,” said Maurer outside the Baton Rouge courthouse.  “This gives parents the opportunity to vote with their feet.”

Maurer contends the legal battle should not be about funding but “a chance for a quality education.”

“The court needs to hear that,” he said.

Ken Campbell, president of the Black Alliance for Educational Options, said parents with children in underperforming schools have been told for too long to “suck it up.”

“We cannot have that situation in Louisiana,” emphasized Campbell.