Education trust change proposed

• By WILL SENTELL
• Advocate Capitol News Bureau
• Published: Oct 20, 2009 - Page: 7A

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A member of the state’s top school board wants to make drastic changes in how officials use a fund that has provided about $700 million to schools.

“I think we have a serious problem in the state in how we fund public education,” said Chas Roemer, of Baton Rouge, a member of the state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education.

Roemer wants to target large amounts on high-profile areas, such as early reading or classroom technology.

Keith Guice, of Monroe, president of the board, has named a task force to look at issues surrounding the program, including possible changes in spending priorities.

Roemer’s target is the Louisiana Education Quality Trust Fund, which has aided education since 1986.

The money comes from an oil and gas settlement with the federal government. Government insiders refer to the funds as “8g” money, which stems from the amendment to federal law that paved the way for the aid.

The school portion totals about $40 million per year. Both public and private schools are eligible.

Other dollars from the fund benefit higher education.

Roemer told the board last week that the money should go to a few, big-ticket items rather than spread in small amounts over hundreds of projects each year.

Under current rules, yearly spending is divided among three grant programs that schools bid on.

“I think instead of spending $200,000 here or $300,000 there we would be better served in picking out what our priorities are for the state,” Roemer said.

“If we do that, I am talking about taking the $40 million and perhaps putting $40 million in one area,” he said.

Roemer said three possibilities are: