Louisiana’s public school funding formula does not send dollars to districts with the most need, according to a new report from Louisiana Kids Matter. The report recommends a $330 million per year increase in state funding for local districts, and says $1 billion in state education aid isn’t adjusted for local needs or revenue because of separate funding streams created by the state. The Times-Picayune | Baton Rouge Advocate’s Patrick Wall reports:

“Some of the wealthier districts are getting the most money, which is crazy to me,” [Louisiana Kids Matter Executive Director Kelli] Bottger said. “We need to right-size that.” Shifting those separate funding streams to the weighted formula would be fairer and more efficient, steering more money to schools with greater needs and giving them more flexibility in how they spend it, the report argues. That change, plus an overall funding boost, would add about $1,500 to the base per-pupil amount schools receive — which has not gone up since 2019 — raising it to $5,500 per student.

The report’s presentation, which called the Minimum Foundation Program “stagnant and outdated,” was not received well by state education leaders:

The meetings caused a stir, with [Louisiana Superintendent of Education Cade] Brumley calling one proposal “alarming” and saying a funding overhaul would be “unworkable” in the short term, according to emails obtained through a public records request. “I agree that it should not move forward — as is — at this time,” Brumley wrote to two of his deputies after the presentation, which the officials called a funding “reform proposal meeting.”

Gov. Jeff Landry and Brumley are pushing to increase funding for Louisiana’s new private school voucher program, while leaving public school funding flat in next year’s budget. 


Callais decision opens gerrymandering flood gates

The U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in the Louisiana v. Callais case has cleared a path for Louisiana’s Legislature – and other state legislatures – to redraw Black-majority districts and strip Black voters of their right to elect candidates of their choice. The Times-Picayune | Baton Rouge Advocate’s Mark Ballard reports: 

Tennessee on Thursday carved Black majority Memphis, which elected the state’s sole Democratic congressperson, into three congressional districts dominated by White Republicans — virtually ensuring all nine members of that state’s delegation are Republican. Once Alabama legislators get a judicial OK, they plan to dismantle one or both of that state’s Black majority congressional districts to add GOP seats in its seven-member delegation. 

The consequences of the Callais ruling will ripple far beyond Congress: 

“We are watching a coordinated, rapid-fire assault on representation across the South, and it is moving fast like a western wild fire,” former New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu wrote for his organization E Pluribus Unum. He noted that nearly 200 seats in state legislatures also could be affected, as well as school board, city council, police jury and other posts. “The issues you care about — gas and grocery prices, housing, opportunity for your kids — all of it flows through whether your voice is heard in government,” Landrieu wrote.

Sweeping changes for FEMA

FEMA should not be eliminated entirely, a goal of some current White House officials, but should shift most of the tasks of recovering from natural disasters from the federal government to states. That’s according to a task force appointed by President Donald Trump. The Times-Picayune | Baton Rouge Advocate’s Mark Ballard reports: 

“Federal assistance should only be reserved for truly significant events that exceed state, local, tribal, territorial capacity and capability,” said Michael Whatley, a member of the President’s Council to Assess the Federal Emergency Management Agency and former chair of the Republican National Committee. The council was charged to look deeply into how FEMA operates and make recommendations to Trump for improvements.

The task force also recommends privatizing flood insurance and distributing federal money via grants, rather than reimbursements. 


Views on crime often diverge from actual trends

The public’s view of crime rates does not match with reality, according to a new report from the Council on Criminal Justice. Stateline’s Amanda Watford reports:

Even during periods when crime declined, most Americans continued to believe it was rising. From 2005 to 2024, about 69% of survey respondents on average said crime was higher than the year before, despite overall crime rates falling in most of those years, according to the report. Fear of crime has remained relatively stable over time. In 2024, 35% of Americans said they were afraid to walk alone at night — the same share as in 1968.

Watford breaks down other factors that influence the public’s view on crime:

Household victimization — whether someone in the home has been a victim of a crime — was one of the strongest predictors of both fear and the belief that crime is increasing.  Property crimes, such as theft, and people’s own experiences with crime were more closely tied to concerns about the issue than actual violent crime rates. Economic sentiment also played a role. People who said it was a good time to find a job or expected to spend the same or more on holiday shopping were less likely to say crime was rising and less likely to report fear of walking alone at night, according to the report.

Number of the Day

249,026 – Number of Louisianans who voted early for the May 16 statewide election – a turnout of 8.3%. (Source: Louisiana Secretary of State)