Federal funds dedicated to the turnaround of struggling Louisiana public schools have been repurposed.
The state Department of Education is using $5 million to issue grants to conceive new schools and allow high-performing schools to take on more students.
Almost 200,000 students are attending schools rated D or F. State Supt. John White said traditional public school systems that have been getting turnaround money are not drawing down that number.
“The pace of change has just not been fast enough for us not to consider a new path,” White said.
Non-profit organizations, local districts, and individual teachers can apply for grants to implement their ideas for replacing struggling schools until the end of April.