Provides for approval for charter schools that specialize in vocational and technical education to meet workforce demands for high demand and high wage jobs. (8/1/26) (OR INCREASE GF EX See Note)

Senate Bill 95 creates a new pathway for vocational and technical education charter schools to obtain state authorization without first seeking approval from local school boards. The bill amends R.S. 17:183.4 to explicitly allow traditional public schools and existing charter schools to partner with specialty vocational and technical education charter schools to satisfy the legal requirement that schools provide students access to vocational and technical education courses. The legislation enacts R.S. 17:3991.2, which establishes the operational framework for these specialty charter schools, and amends R.S. 17:3983 to permit vocational and technical education charter school proposals to proceed directly to the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education as Type 2 charter school applications when accompanied by a resolution from the Louisiana Board of Commerce and Industry. Additionally, the bill enacts R.S. 51:934, which defines the process through which the Board of Commerce and Industry adopts resolutions identifying specific economic sectors where vocational and technical education is needed and listing the required job-related training classes or skills.

The practical effect of this legislation enables charter school applicants focused on vocational and technical education to bypass the traditional local school board approval process if they secure Board of Commerce support, thereby accelerating school authorization for workforce development purposes. Schools authorized under these provisions may offer enrollment preferences to students whose parents or legal guardians work in or reside within the designated economic sector, subject to the restriction that such preferences cannot displace existing students. Charter agreements may include board seats for industry representatives employed by or retired from businesses within the economic sector, facilitating direct business engagement in school governance. However, the bill prohibits gaming corporations and their affiliates from donating land, buildings, major renovations, or major technology investments to these charter schools, and prevents gaming-related economic sectors from being designated as eligible areas for these charter schools. Students benefit from expanded partnerships allowing them to access vocational and technical education through multiple school types, while businesses gain a structured mechanism to influence educational programming aligned with their workforce needs.

The legislation operates within the existing charter school authorization framework established in R.S. 17:3983 and the general charter school provisions in R.S. 17:3991, but creates an exception to the standard requirement that Type 1 and Type 3 charter proposals must first be submitted to local school boards. The bill references STAR jobs, which are employment opportunities identified by the Louisiana Works Commission as high-demand and high-wage positions, thus connecting charter school curricula to state workforce development priorities. The amendment to R.S. 17:183.4 expressly recognizes charter schools as valid partnering entities, confirming that traditional public schools may collaborate with charter schools to fulfill statutory obligations regarding vocational and technical education access. The restrictions on gaming corporations derive from existing law definitions in R.S. 18:1505.2, and the Board of Commerce role leverages that agency's existing economic development authority. These provisions work in concert with the minimum foundation program funding formula referenced in the bill and are subject to existing charter school law except where explicitly modified by the new provisions.