Conservative Group Urges Louisiana Republicans To Save School Choice From The ‘Chopping Block’

A conservative group on Sunday launched a campaign urging Louisiana lawmakers to save funding for the state’s school choice program.

The Club for Growth rolled out a 30-second TV spot on Sunday political programs across Louisiana, pushing for lawmakers to save the Louisiana Giving All True Opportunity to Rise program, which provides scholarships that students can use to attend private schools. Lawmakers in the Republican-controlled State Senate are considering slashing up to $44 million from the program in order to help pay for stipends for teachers.

“Lawmakers have a choice,” the TV spot, which was first shared with The Daily Wire, says.

“Lift up our kids or gut their futures. Some state senators have grabbed their knives planning to slash $44 million in funding for Governor Landry’s LA GATOR program putting 6,000 life-changing scholarships on the chopping block, dashing the hopes of 6,000 low income kids. Those aren’t just numbers, they’re futures. Tell lawmakers, ‘Don’t cut their lifeline.'”

The ad features Senate President Cameron Henry, who has reportedly expressed support for cutting the program to fund $2,000 stipends for public school teachers.

The Club for Growth, which has backed school choice proposals across the country, launched a six-figure TV, digital, and phone campaign dissuading lawmakers from cutting the program in April. Their first ad featured Governor Landry discussing how his school choice program would give parents more control over the education of their children.

Last week, the Louisiana House passed a budget including over $90 million in funding for the scholarship program, the full amount requested by the governor.

The Louisiana Department of Education says it determined that 35,000 of the 40,000 applications for the 2025-2026 school year were eligible. The amount of scholarships that will be awarded depends on how much money is appropriated for the program by the legislature.

Priority is given to students who are already in the program, students with disabilities, or from families making less than 250% of the federal poverty level, and students with siblings in the program. Students with disabilities can be awarded up to $15,253, while impoverished students can get $7,626. All others are eligible for $5,243.

The Club for Growth has already backed several successful campaigns for school choice measures, including in Tennessee and Indiana. The Trump administration has made school choice a major component of its education policy, with President Donald Trump promising to dismantle the Department of Education and return control of education to the states.