[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6264407,"mediaKeyId","3096525-cc784add225ad42e85cdc61550ead1c3","parentId",3096525,"title","State education officials seek one-year Odyssey extension to launch new ESA 'Gator' program as lawmakers press funding and seat questions","audioSeconds",1334,"startMs",3226000,"endMs",4560000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3096525-cc784add225ad42e85cdc61550ead1c3&start=3226&end=4560","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3096525-cc784add225ad42e85cdc61550ead1c3/thumbnail_3226000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6264407/Louisiana/State-education-officials-seek-one-year-Odyssey-extension-to-launch-new-ESA-Gator-program-as-lawmakers-press-funding-and-seat-questions","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6264407-029762f7baa073604b4039a3c7b3e46a/orig.mp4?Expires=1770447753&Signature=DJfKJaEyrbpN-u8PDk4uoG5xmKJUgmc7nx3RJa~4~N63CZySUspAFi2Vgz5Q8~vTXbQvvpU9atsjpzm7ZKNj25z0MMOgIzfdQih2VXGshoeOR7CTiLlLmBCkfEokUsUp~QQZiF9hGHlc~KxPpOBaCiEYoUp8LCgMnnCkyx~dmUlIj6Mkt0Yo-Ph-kx2m2GnkWwHswVt1iazpmtTxy4Y9eIBzVSo53S7y0dPfsPGuQOzWC5v2L-iQy8iX2E6UCUCv04DIOvKnjShtBs13Ko0aAM3NSgjXkJlMkFZUSy5Dp8VSISU5VeCzj5VX8E9ioy4-GG98j4SkXvvQTPgxWGC~Yw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Louisiana Legislature","date","2025-04-23T00:00:00Z","article","Department of Education officials told the committee the state needs a one‑year contract extension with Odyssey to operate the newly authorized education savings account (ESA) program — commonly referred to in discussion as the “Gator” program — and to deliver the marketplace of services, account management and vendor oversight required by the law.

Kaye Bromley, representing the Department of Education (LDOE), said the department has worked with Odyssey to accept applications and to verify eligibility. LDOE staff said roughly 34,000–35,000 families had applied at the time of the meeting and that approximately 45,000 seats had been reported as available by nonpublic schools that completed the department’s approval process. The governor’s executive budget contains funding for roughly 11,000 awards; prior voucher-program participants number roughly 5,000–6,000 and are treated as a priority within the placement rules LDOE has adopted.

Lawmakers repeatedly raised fiscal concerns: several members asked how many applicants are already enrolled in public schools (information the department said it collects and will provide) and how many seats by parish and grade are actually available for students with the academic and grade‑level matches they would need. Representative and Senator questioning focused on the program’s growth risks if awards are extended beyond pupils who would otherwise have been public‑school students: the state’s contribution to a transferred pupil’s MFP share changes depending on whether the child previously generated state/local MFP funding for a public district.

Alan Boxberger of the Legislative Fiscal Office explained the MFP arithmetic in general terms: the statewide MFP average per student is used as the starting point, and the state’s share of that average (roughly 57–58% of the total on an average statewide basis) factors into how the state’s obligations change as pupils move from public to private settings. Boxberger said individual cases can differ; the Legislative Auditor’s office noted the overall transfers reached record highs in FY2023 and are projected to settle closer to pre‑COVID levels in FY2025–26.

Committee members also pressed for more detail about students with disabilities: how many approved private schools reported capacity to serve students with disabilities and how many seats in the vendor roster are likely to be appropriate for students with exceptionalities. LDOE said the department and Odyssey will confirm case‑by‑case placements and that the marketplace structure permits families to use award dollars for services in addition to tuition (for example, therapy, tutoring and materials). Caleb Moore and other LDOE staff described a verification and vendor‑approval step inside the Odyssey platform; the department said LDOE retains oversight and final authority over eligibility and approvals.

LDOE officials told the committee the program cannot launch on schedule in August without the Odyssey contract extension and the committee heard that the vendor‑management fee under the full executive budget would be roughly $144 per student for account management, with broader program costs tied to the number of awarded students. Department staff emphasized the program is subject to appropriation and that applying to the ESA does not guarantee a placement or award.

The transcript records extensive questions and requests for parish‑by‑parish and grade‑by‑grade seat counts, clearer projections of net state fiscal impact per placed student and explicit breakdowns of how awards interact with the state and local portions of the MFP. The committee did not record a final vote on the Odyssey amendment during this meeting segment; several members asked LDOE to provide additional data before the committee makes appropriation decisions.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","JLCB Apr 23, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The Louisiana Department of Education asked the committee on April 23 to approve a one‑year extension of its contract with Odyssey so the state can launch the new education savings account (ESA) \"Gator\" marketplace; lawmakers pressed officials for parish‑level seat counts, disability accommodations and fiscal projections.","taxTitle","2025 Legislature LA, Louisiana","taxId",78558,"location","Louisiana","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6264410,"Louisiana Lottery projects $186.8 million to state in FY26; lawmakers probe salaries and transfer trends",533,967000,1500000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3096525-cc784add225ad42e85cdc61550ead1c3&start=967&end=1500","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3096525-cc784add225ad42e85cdc61550ead1c3/thumbnail_967000.jpg","/articles/6264410/Louisiana/Louisiana-Lottery-projects-1868-million-to-state-in-FY26-lawmakers-probe-salaries-and-transfer-trends","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6264410-7a6d9c6fd0d5b8d61ef65ab7f220c657/orig.mp4?Expires=1770447753&Signature=ffsanaYD58CNg1Q2i4cpb1kwnQPHd6P5ltcoxlAyKtv5YN2NGfvi9Mu5Xh7Rlki0pNUerbyi8lU9~EWooU3u77yV0JjrcGT1vJjGM4wzt98GWRXd8DLUzdqP4TlYuMzhGe5ePDLlV8Y23winm~xNKh~2nfpkl5oY1~Xb9U480EE6reeUev9mW~cE3Mdkf7K~V0kQZiPRLtOqJdwWpWHZZkfBj2rp1Tpv~GZQ7LViqVKyDM9uCTQNAxU2ANZZisAOrT4cr8kCeZjhUOyzokPm3xp-l2MhwtsZCv69PLeMji679KDrLjXquI1K6EMYxfAH6BGxvw9esGWKqqYTZyK7Mw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Rose Hudson, president and CEO of the Louisiana Lottery Corporation, presented the corporation’s FY2025–26 operating budget to the Joint Legislative Committee on the Budget on April 23, saying the Lottery expects $603,700,000 in gross revenue and would transfer $186,800,000 to the state under the budget.

The presentation prompted questions from lawmakers about executive compensation and whether changes in prizes and game mix would reduce transfers to the Minimum Foundation Program (MFP) for education. Hudson told the committee the corporation has completed 28 years of annual audits by the Legislative Auditor with “no reportable findings, unmodified opinions,” and that the Lottery ranks first nationally in the share of revenue returned “to good causes.”

Legislative Auditor Mike Waguespack and auditor Ed Seiler reviewed historical transfers and payroll patterns for the committee. Seiler said the Lottery has been transferring more than the statutory minimum since 2020, and noted a sustained increase in the instant (scratch-off) product gross margin since 2020. Waguespack told members the agency’s audits have been “very clean” and that management is strong.

Alan Boxberger of the Legislative Fiscal Office explained trends behind year-to-year transfers. He noted Act 318 of 2020 lowered the statutory mandatory transfer percentage from 35% to 25% and said the effect of that change depends on game payouts and jackpot activity: the online, draw-style games (Powerball/Mega Millions) produce large year-to-year swings in transfers when jackpots vary. Seiler added that instant games’ increased payouts were intended to drive higher sales, which can offset higher prize expense.

Senator Cloud, who requested the Legislative Auditor’s analysis, said the combination of increased salary costs and years in which jackpots are lower could create optics concerns if transfers to the MFP fall while Lottery operating expenses rise. Legislators pressed for more disaggregated metrics and told the department and auditors they would want projections of the “delta” — the state fiscal impact per moved student — when the department tracks any future programs that would affect education funding.

Representative McFarland made a motion to move the Lottery budget “favorable”; the committee carried the motion with no recorded opposition.

The committee requested follow-up figures and forecasts, including projected transfers under differing jackpot scenarios and additional metrics to track salary changes, vacancy rates and the proportion of transfer proceeds to the MFP. Hudson said the Lottery’s budget is conservative and that expenses are not structured to rise automatically with occasional large jackpots.","Rose Hudson, president and CEO of the Louisiana Lottery Corporation, presented a $603.7 million operating budget for FY25–26 that would transfer about $186.8 million to the state. Legislators and the Legislative Auditor questioned salary increases, transfer trends since Act 318 of 2020 and how payouts and game mix affect education funding.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6264403,"Votes at a glance: April 23 Joint Legislative Committee on the Budget — approvals, contract extensions and change orders",2742,134000,2876000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3096525-cc784add225ad42e85cdc61550ead1c3&start=134&end=2876","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3096525-cc784add225ad42e85cdc61550ead1c3/thumbnail_134000.jpg","/articles/6264403/Louisiana/Votes-at-a-glance-April-23-Joint-Legislative-Committee-on-the-Budget-approvals-contract-extensions-and-change-orders","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6264403-e25f0e73325dcca9caf63fd1bcc57e60/orig.mp4?Expires=1770447753&Signature=fbPgefxgUHrac-kR80wUwgFnZOL6Ebas4FDnA9eudnrT3PF-5SnO5NwokFBDA0YV3nylGdwuK4DzsuPZK5Ic7v4o8uH5vNTvxgrp9ReZN-~lfX1BLeHVYjcp~RwqBhHCPKRIygpd-bx6l2SFAoZiz2bFsfzAGjjN~wSjfy2JF7syYQ7tP~ZfsG3Kblu-1HxnScKXyo4CbbcEKHKTwIrPV-eX-r5U~BoEWWfoTtKq2M8rFBg1eHN5TBlPjIpIve5JsVszuesM1M24Q7~IOa3P0HSFVXEvXJ1h2UcHUWHqIcoobdTeAhQhekN6M5GwyXPDZl-oSO8IsjOaKZLUXdjt4A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Joint Legislative Committee on the Budget considered and approved a number of items on April 23. This roundup lists formal actions recorded on the transcript; where the transcript records only “motion carried” or “no opposition,” vote tallies are not recorded.

Key approvals and recorded outcomes

- Fiscal status and 5‑year baseline: Committee approved the fiscal status statement as presented by Tranesha Hutchinson of the Office of Planning and Budget. (Motion carried; mover: Senator Edmonds.)

- BA‑7 items (budget adjustments and federal fund increases):
- BA‑7 #2: Louisiana Stadium and Exposition District — increase of statutory dedications out of the New Orleans Sports Franchise Assistance Fund by $1,000,000 to the Louisiana Stadium and Exposition District. OPB and LFO recommended approval. (Motion carried; mover: Representative Romero.)
- BA‑7 #3: Division of Family Support / Office of Children and Family Services — increase federal funds by $80,273,040 from USDA Food and Nutrition Service for Summer EBT (one‑time $120 per eligible school‑age child). OPB and LFO recommended approval. (Motion carried; mover: Representative Firebird.)
- BA‑7 #4: Washington Parish Tourism Commission Fund — increase statutory dedication by $85,000. LFO noted a statutory citation issue in sales tax citations that needs cleanup but recommended approval. (Motion carried; mover: Senator Boudreaux.)

- Facility Planning and Control (FP&C) items and change orders:
- LSU Healthcare Services Division — increase authority for clinic building project at Lolli Kemp Regional Medical Center by $1,300,000 (project authorization to $5,650,000). FP&C reported the project is self‑funded by LSU Healthcare Services. (Motion carried; mover: Representative Rang.)
- Spanish Trail Industrial Park access road, St. Martin Parish — change order of $255,878 to address subgrade treatment and unforeseen utilities; local match is 25%, state share $191,909 funded from project contingency. (Motion carried; mover: Senator Boudreaux.)
- Port of New Orleans, Folian Avenue container crane expansion — change order of $1,156,931 for additional earthwork, backfill and piling repairs; the Port met its match and requested state funds to cover the change order. The Legislative Auditor reviewed the matter; after discussion the committee approved the change order. (Motion carried; mover: Chairman Womack.)

- State Bond Commission request: Leila Falls and PRAG representative requested committee approval to sell general obligation bonds in a negotiated sale (postponed earlier due to market volatility). Committee approved. (Motion carried; mover: Representative LeFlore.)

- Contract extensions and procurement approvals (reported and approved for specified vendors):
- Office of Risk Management: one‑year extension to Sedgwick (third‑party claims administrator) adding funds (transcript cited an addition of $20,000,000 and $881,000; invoice amounts vary based on emergency services). Committee approved extension. (Motion carried; mover: Representative LaFleur.)
- Department of Environmental Quality: extensions for Compliance Services (underground tank inspections), Atlas Technical Services (removal/remediation), SGS North America (air analysis lab services), and LEAF Environmental (site investigations). Committee approved each extension when presented. (Motions carried; movers recorded in transcript.)
- DEQ records management (Access Sciences Corporation) — the department presented a two‑year extension request and additional $3,200,000 to the total contract; that item was presented for review only and was to be brought back for committee action the next month.

- Sabine River Authority budget: Committee moved the Sabine River Authority’s budget favorable after a short presentation by Executive Director Warren Founds. (Motion carried; mover: Senator Abraham.)

Procedure and roll calls

Most items were approved by voice or unanimous consent; the transcript shows motions followed by “motion carried” or “no opposition” rather than recorded rollcall tallies. Several presenters noted documentation or audits were provided to the committee and the Legislative Fiscal Office and Legislative Auditor gave recommendations on several items.

Items requiring follow‑up

Members asked for statutory citation cleanup related to hotel/motel tax dispositions (BA‑7 #4) and acknowledged that some change orders had been reviewed by the Legislative Auditor. For the DEQ records management item, the department will return the contract for formal review next month.","The committee recorded a series of routine approvals on April 23 including BA‑7 budget actions, facility project authorizations, change orders, contract extensions and a negotiated sale authorization for general obligation bonds. Many items were approved by voice without recorded rollcall tallies.","actionData","errors"]

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State education officials seek one-year Odyssey extension to launch new ESA 'Gator' program as lawmakers press funding and seat questions

Louisiana Lottery projects $186.8 million to state in FY26; lawmakers probe salaries and transfer trends

Votes at a glance: April 23 Joint Legislative Committee on the Budget — approvals, contract extensions and change orders