School Choice Program for Certain Students with Exceptionalities
What is the School Choice Program for Certain Students with Exceptionalities?
The School Choice Program for Certain Students with Exceptionalities (SCP) provides funding for families of students with certain disabilities to select the school that the family feels will best address their needs.
Is My Family Eligible for SCP?
To be eligible for this program, students must meet the requirements in ALL THREE sections below:
1 - Student has been evaluated by a Louisiana public school and determined to have any one of the following exceptionalities:
- Autism
- Developmental Delay
- Mental Disability
- Other Health Impairment
- Specific Learning Disability
- Traumatic Brain Injury
AND
2 - The student has an Individual Education Plan, district-provided services plan or a nonpublic school-created service plan.
AND
3 - The student is eligible to attend a Louisiana public school.
How Much Financial Assistance Is Available?
Families participating in this program receive an educational certificate, which is paid directly to the school on behalf of the family. The certificate is worth either approximately 50% of the per-pupil allocation of state funds to the student’s local school district, or the school’s tuition and fees, whichever is less. This amount averages to approximately $2,500 across the state. If the school’s tuition and fees exceeds the certificate amount, then parents are responsible for paying the difference.
Do All Schools Participate in SCP?
No. Only the following Catholic schools in the New Orleans region participate in this program.
| Parish | School | Autism | Develop. Delay | Emotional Disturb. | Mental Disability | Other Health Impair. | Specific Learning Disability | Traumatic Brain Injury |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jefferson | Archbishop Rummel Jr. High | x | x | x | x | x | x | |
| Jefferson | Archbishop Rummel Sr. High | x | x | x | x | x | x | |
| Jefferson | St. Benilde School | x | x | x | x | x | ||
| Jefferson | St. Christopher School | x | x | |||||
| Orleans | Holy Rosary Academy | x | x | x | x | |||
| Orleans | Holy Rosary High | x | x | x | x | |||
| Orleans | St. Michael Special School | x | x | x | x | x | x | x |
| St. Tammany | Our Lady of the Lake | x | x | x | ||||
| St. Tammany | St. Paul’s School | x | x | x | ||||
| St. Tammany | St. Peter School | x | x | x | x | x |
When Are the Deadlines to Apply to SCP?
- Application window opens: Late January or early February, 2019
- Applications due: March 2019
- Louisiana Department of Education notifies families: April 2019
To participate, families must complete the SCP application and submit the application to a participating school.