(The Center Square) − The Louisiana Joint Legislative Committee on the Budget approved on Friday a nearly $2 million contract extension with education technology company Odyssey to continue managing the state’s new LA Giving All True Opportunity to RISE scholarship program through June 2026.
The contract, valued at up to $1.93 million, covers operations, account management, and technical support services for the program, which provides state-funded education scholarships for eligible K-12 students attending nonpublic schools or using approved education services.
According to the Louisiana Department of Education, the contract supports tasks including student account administration, implementation of a vendor rating system, development of a work plan for the program’s management system and creation of training materials and videos.
The approved $1.9 million figure represents a maximum spending cap. A portion of the funding — $143.50 per student account—will go toward Odyssey’s costs of administering each account, the department told The Center Square.
The LA GATOR program launched in late 2024 and is intended to eventually provide scholarships to all Louisiana K-12 students. But for the 2025–2026 school year, eligibility is limited to select groups, including students who participated in the now-defunct Louisiana Scholarship Program, those from low-income families, students with disabilities and certain public school attendees.
During the JLCB meeting, State Superintendent Cade Brumley said the Legislature’s final allocation of $43.5 million — down from the governor’s proposed $90 million — will fund scholarships for 6,106 students, with an average award of $7,127.
Lawmakers also called for clearer alignment between the rules set by the state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, statutory requirements and the governor’s priorities — particularly when it comes to which students should be prioritized if funds are limited.
BESE currently gives top priority to students transitioning from the voucher program, followed by low-income students and those with disabilities, consistent with the law. However, Gov. Jeff Landry has expressed a desire to prioritize low-income and special-needs students regardless of voucher status.
“We need to make sure that the governor understands what the priorities are now and if he has different ones, BESE needs to address that, have a conversation with him somewhere between now and next couple of months,” Senate President Cameron Henry, R-Metairie, said during the hearing.
Two DOE employees are currently assigned to oversee the LA GATOR program, with one focused on financial oversight and the other on school and provider quality.
Applications for the 2025–26 school year closed in April. With nearly 35,000 applicants there will only be enough funding for about 6,000 scholarships. Further expansion will depend on future legislative appropriations.
