RS 17:4022 Participating schools; requirements
§4022. Participating schools; requirements
Each participating school shall:
(1) Within sixty days after the scholarship program admissions period as scheduled by the department, notify the applicant in writing whether the applicant has been accepted.
(2) Use an open admissions process in enrolling scholarship recipients in the program and shall not require any additional eligibility criteria other than those specified in R.S. 17:4013(3). In the event that there are more scholarship recipients applying for enrollment in a participating school than there are available seats, select scholarship recipients for admission utilizing a random selection process that provides each scholarship recipient with equal opportunity for selection. However, a participating school may give preference to siblings of a student who is already enrolled in the participating school. For the purposes of such random selection process, twins, triplets, quadruplets, and other such multiple births shall constitute one individual. Participating schools shall notify the department of any scholarship recipient not selected by random selection so that the department may notify those students of other participating schools with an available seat. In the event that the student not selected does not wish to enroll in another participating school, the school shall add the student to a waiting list so that he may be enrolled when a seat becomes available. Students may remain on more than one participating school's waiting list; however, upon enrolling in a participating school, their names shall be removed from waiting lists maintained by other participating schools.
(3) Notify the department of scholarship recipients enrolled.
(4) Submit to the department an independent financial audit of the school conducted by a certified public accountant who has been approved by the legislative auditor. Such audit shall be accompanied by the auditor's statement that the report is free of material misstatements and fairly presents the participating school's maximum tuition or actual cost of educating a student pursuant to R.S. 17:4016. The audit shall be limited in scope to those records necessary for the department to make scholarship payments to the participating school and shall be submitted to the legislative auditor for review and investigation of any irregularities or audit findings. The participating school shall return to the state any funds that the legislative auditor determines were expended in a manner inconsistent with state law or program regulations. The cost of such audit shall be paid by the department from funds appropriated by the legislature to implement the provisions of this Chapter.
(5) Accept the scholarship amounts provided to scholarship recipients as full payment of all educational costs, including incidental or supplementary fees, that are charged to all enrolled students, including but not limited to meals, field trips, and before- or after-school care.
(6) Upon enrolling scholarship recipients pursuant to this Chapter, allow such students to remain enrolled in the school if the school voluntarily withdraws from the program provided that continued funding is appropriated by the legislature for the program. However, students may be expelled from the school according to the school's discipline policy or disqualified from enrollment in subsequent years if the student is no longer eligible for the program as determined by the department. In the event funding is not available to continue the program, the participating school shall allow a scholarship recipient to remain enrolled in such school, provided such student meets the school's requirements for continued enrollment and the student's parent or legal guardian assumes responsibility for paying the tuition and fees charged to all students enrolled in the school.
(7) Prior to enrollment, inform the parent or other legal guardian of a scholarship recipient of any and all rules, policies, and procedures of such school, including but not limited to academic policies, disciplinary rules, and procedures of the school. Enrollment of a scholarship recipient in a participating school constitutes acceptance of any such rules, policies, and procedures of such school.
Acts 2008, No. 509, §1, eff. June 25, 2008.