Louisiana
Louisiana education leaders push back on proposal to base school funding on attendance
Several members of a new study group to examine Louisiana’s high rates of student absenteeism pushed back this week against proposals to tie school district funding to attendance, warning that doing so could backfire without addressing the root causes of why students miss school.
Louisiana’s absenteeism rate rose between 2022 and 2024 before dropping slightly last year. Members of the state’s new Truancy Study Group suggested brainstorming ways for school systems and local agencies to better communicate with families and one other to figure out what’s driving absenteeism. Those reasons can vary widely, they said.
Made up of nearly two dozen education professionals, including principals, superintendents, district attorneys and school counselors, the study group’s creation came at the behest of the Legislature. State Rep. Barbara Freiberg, R-Baton Rouge, proposed a bill in the spring that would have tied attendance data to school funding through the Minimum Foundation Program, which is Louisiana’s formula that determines the cost of educating public school students.
Freiberg ultimately pulled the bill, saying the issue needed to be studied, and the Legislature instead passed a resolution to create the Truancy Study Group. But she said at the time that she wanted to ensure districts became “more involved in making sure students are there daily.”
The committee will meet periodically in Baton Rouge until February 2026, which is the deadline for them to submit policy recommendations to the Legislature.
“There’s a disconnect sometimes between theory and practice,” said Sharon Clark, a member of the state education board and the study group’s chair, during Wednesday’s meeting. “We want to make sure we’re coming up with solutions that work across the state.”
Pressing concerns
The number of students frequently missing school in Louisiana skyrocketed during COVID, mirroring national trends.
In many states, chronic absenteeism fell after the pandemic.
But in Louisiana, absenteeism rates continued to grow, spiking at 24.5% during the 2023 to 2024 school year before dipping to 22.5% last year.
State education leaders and lawmakers have said they’re worried those numbers could hinder the state’s recent academic progress.
To push districts to tackle the problem, Freiberg’s bill suggested allocating money based on daily attendance numbers, which schools are now mandated by the state education department to regularly collect and submit. That’s a change from the current formula, which bases funding on head counts that are taken once in February and once in October.
Those in favor of linking attendance to funding said it would incentivize districts to do more to reduce absenteeism. But opponents warned that doing so could unfairly penalize public school systems that are already financially strapped.
During Wednesday’s meeting, several study group members shared their frustration over what they said was a lack of supports for high-need students, who are often the ones most at-risk of becoming chronically absent. Many noted that basing funding on attendance would reduce districts’ ability to afford resources that could help students.
“Kids come to us in survival mode. Some don’t know where their next meal is coming from,” said Robert Wells, principal of Bonnabel High School in Baton Rouge. “If the goal is to do better and support kids to produce better outcomes, to help them leave high school and be able to go out and do whatever it is that they want to do, we can’t cut funding.”
Freiberg told committee members this week that she understood the pushback and that they needed to find alternative methods to tackle absenteeism.
“I hope you’ll come back to me with legislation that I can carry in the spring that’s not just tied to the [Minimum Foundation Program],” she told them.
Pros and cons
Beth Scioneaux, chief financial officer for the state education department, said in a presentation Wednesday that while basing funding on attendance can encourage districts to “hyper-focus” on chronically absent students to avoid losing money, it also comes with drawbacks.
Average daily attendance data doesn’t take into account students who miss school for reasons outside of their control, like prolonged illness, she said. She also noted that districts with higher numbers of economically disadvantaged students usually struggle the most with chronic absenteeism.
As a result, she said that attendance-based funding can make it even more difficult for school systems to address absenteeism’s root causes. Education experts widely say those often stem from problems outside of school.
If Louisiana were to make the switch, “there would have to be some kind of phase-in period,” Scioneaux added. “You can’t take millions and millions of dollars away and expect the same level of educational experiences to be delivered.”
To date, six states — California, Kentucky, Idaho, Mississippi, Missouri and Texas — allocate money based on average daily attendance numbers. Some of those, including Mississippi and Texas, have made recent moves to explore other formulas.
NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) — For the fifth consecutive year, the Louisiana Children’s Museum hosted its annual environmental festival, Mud Fest, on Saturday, March 28.
From 10 a.m.-4 p.m., parents and their little ones had the opportunity to have fun in the sun and enjoy the “highlight” of the museum’s spring season.
This event was inspired by the iconic New Orleans festival culture which includes good food, live music and a nice, high-energy atmosphere. Mud Fest is tailored for the “youngest environmental stewards” to have fun and make all the mess they want with mud.
Due to the Crescent City being surrounded by wetland habitats, we interact with water daily in both our rural and urban communities.
The festival generates positive associations with our region and also builds critical thinking skills for future educators, engineers, fishermen and farmers. According to LCM, engaging with nature, water and plants “builds a child’s confidence and fosters a lifelong connection to the Earth.”
“As the Louisiana Children’s Museum celebrates its 40th anniversary, events like Mud Fest reflect our long-standing commitment to hands-on learning that sparks curiosity and connects children to the world around them,” LCM CEO Tifferney White said.
This year, Mud Fest had performances from young musicians of the School of Rock, the Louisiana Sunspots and more. There were also a storytelling stage and various family-friendly activities for visitors to engage in.
Mud Fest partnered with Pontchartrain Conservancy, STEM NOL, Whimscapes and Sugar Roots to put on the event.
Stay up to date with the latest news, weather and sports by downloading the WGNO app on the Apple or Google Play stores and by subscribing to the WGNO newsletter.
Latest Posts
Lana Del Rey has enjoyed a low-key life with her gator tour guide husband Jeremy Dufrene in Louisiana and the talented singer recently gave an intimate peek into their relationship.
The 40-year-old Young And Beautiful hitmaker (born Elizabeth Grant) took to her Instagram to post a gallery celebrating the swamp guide’s 51st birthday.
The couple looked just as in love as ever following their wedding in September 2024.
Del Rey shared several recent videos from their modest life together including a cute selfie of the couple by the ocean while she let her natural beauty show by going make-up free.
She also posted a cute video of Dufrene loading up the truck with plants they had just purchased from Home Depot and when he realizes he is being filmed, the Louisiana native flashed a big smile and proudly posed with a Jack-o’-lantern pot.
Del Rey also shared a snap of her hand gripping his wrist as her massive engagement ring could be seen in full view.
Lana Del Rey has enjoyed a low-key life with her gator tour guide husband Jeremy Dufrene in Louisiana and the talented singer recently gave an intimate peek into their relationship as she shared a tribute to him on his 51st birthday
Another snap showed Del Rey wearing one of Dufrene’s tour guide shirts featuring his name embroidered above the pocket.
Weeks ago the musical artist gave what appeared to be a glimpse into her married life in her new video.
Del Rey’s Insta Stories video opened with footage from the 1933 Betty Boop cartoon Snow-White, though it focused on a section starring the character Koko the Clown as he’s turned into a ghost.
Then the video abruptly cut to shaky handheld footage of Del Rey dancing with an ecstatic smile plastered on her face.
The two have kept a relatively low profile since their wedding day but did make a notable appearance last month at the pre-New York Fashion Week Ralph Lauren show on February 10.
The happy couple even stopped for a romantic kiss as they walked the red carpet for the iconic designer.
The couple first met in 2019 during one of Dufrene’s swamp excursions and reconnected years later, before tying the knot in September 2024.
In August, Del Rey revealed how she fell for her husband, a Louisiana bayou tour guide who spends his days surrounded by alligators.
Join the debate
What do you think Lana Del Rey’s choice to marry a swamp guide says about fame and real love?
She posted a cute video of Dufrene loading up the truck with plants they had just purchased from Home Depot and when he realizes he is being filmed, the Louisiana native flashed a big smile and proudly posed with a Jack-o’-lantern pot
Del Rey also shared a snap of her hand gripping his wrist as her massive engagement ring could be seen in full view
Another snap showed Del Rey wearing one of Dufrene’s tour guide shirts featuring his name embroidered above the pocket
Del Rey also posted a video of the cover of their wedding album
‘Like many people who work with large, dangerous beasts, Jeremy has a calm, strong presence,’ Del Rey told W magazine.
‘When we met, I realized pretty immediately that I loved him, but that it might get difficult because of what I was bringing to the table,’ she continued.
Del Rey added that Dufrene reassured her from the start: ‘I work with alligators — I have tough skin.’
And true to his word, he listened through all the drama: ‘All the things that made me upset — and there were so many! — he would just listen and say, “You be you — and I’ll just love you more.”’
Weeks ago the musical artist gave what appeared to be a glimpse into her married life and her new video
The two have kept a relatively low profile since their wedding day but did make a notable appearance last month at the pre-New York Fashion Week Ralph Lauren show on February 10
The happy couple stopped for a romantic kiss as they walked the red carpet for the iconic designer
The couple first met in 2019 during one of Dufrene’s swamp excursions and reconnected years later, before tying the knot in September 2024
Tying the knot in 2024 didn’t make the spotlight any gentler.
Del Rey recalled the intense scrutiny they faced, with drones reportedly hovering over their home to snap photos of their wedding and early days as newlyweds.
‘If I was him, I would have been nervous — my emotions were more overwhelming than usual, and my usual emotions can be quite overwhelming!’ she said with a laugh. ‘But Jeremy was fine. He told me, “Don’t worry about me.”’
And when it comes to music inspired by love, fans have already heard a peek. ‘Stars Fell on Alabama. I open my show with that song — that’s it, so far,’ she revealed.
‘Jeremy is the most impactful person in my life. He’s quiet in public, but around me he talks all the time.’
Louisiana
Meta orders 10 gas-fired power plants for its Hyperion AI campus in rural Louisiana—more than triple the initial plans | Fortune
Meta will pay for a total of 10 gas-fired power plants—enough to power more than 5 million homes—to electrify its rapidly expanding plans for its massive AI data center complex in northeastern Louisiana, dubbed Hyperion.
Meta’s agreement with New Orleans–based Entergy, announced March 27, is to build and finance seven new power plants in Louisiana. That comes on top of plans approved last year to build three gas power plants for the sprawling AI hub. The 10 power plants with 7.5 gigawatts of capacity would represent a more than 30% increase to Louisiana’s entire grid capacity, not even counting up to 2.5 gigawatts of renewable energy capacity, including battery storage, that Meta also agreed to help fund.
Meta initially announced plans for a $10 billion investment in December 2024 for a 2,250-acre data center campus in northeastern Louisiana in rural Richland Parish. But Meta recently, and quietly, acquired an additional 1,400 acres, as Fortune reported in February. In October 2025, Meta entered a joint venture with funds managed by Blue Owl Capital to finance, build, and operate the Hyperion campus with up to $27 billion in total development costs, seemingly ensuring the mega-campus will serve as a long-term, multiphase AI hub.
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has said Hyperion would cover a “significant part of the footprint of Manhattan.”
“Our Richland Parish data center serves as a symbol of the ambition and scale of next-generation AI infrastructure,” said Rachel Peterson, Meta vice president for data centers, in a statement. “We are building foundations for the future of AI innovation right here in the United States. We’ve been working closely with Entergy since early on-site planning to ensure our power needs are met and, importantly, so that Entergy’s other consumers aren’t paying our costs.”
The Louisiana Public Service Commission will still need to approve the projects. The previous three power plants received regulatory authorization last year.
Entergy’s stock jumped 7% on March 27, lifting its market cap to a new record high of about $50 billion. The stock has risen almost 125% in two years.
Entergy is emphasizing that Meta is paying for the projects, rather than shifting the costs to other ratepayers. Entergy argues that the deals will save Louisiana taxpayers billions of dollars over several years.
The 10 power plants are estimated to cost nearly $11 billion. Critics contend ratepayers could be stuck with the bill after 15 years, which is the length of the contractual terms, if Meta no longer requires so much power after that span.
“This agreement reflects what’s possible when strong partners align around long-term growth and value,” said Phillip May, president and CEO of Entergy Louisiana, in a statement. “Working with our customers, regulators, and state leaders, we are making targeted investments that strengthen reliability, support economic development, and deliver meaningful benefits to customers—all while keeping energy rates affordable.”
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