Louisiana

Stephanie Grace: Lawmakers say don’t cut Medicaid. The state’s members of Congress should listen.

Published

5 months ago

June 21, 2025

Stephanie Grace: Lawmakers say don’t cut Medicaid. The state’s members of Congress should listen.

The Louisiana Legislature just got through passing a whole bunch of laws, but few if any will affect the state’s financial health — and that of many of its residents — as much as what’s happening in Congress right now.

And on that, lawmakers had a clear message for Washington: Don’t cut Medicaid.

I’m not talking about just members of the Democratic minority, or even a coalition of Democrats and moderate Republicans. No, resolutions urging Congress to preserve funding for the widely used program passed overwhelmingly in both houses in Baton Rouge, each stocked with a supermajority of Republicans.

If that doesn’t convey the urgency of the threat, the names of the lawmakers who wrote the resolutions should. House Resolution 369, which asks Congress not to take action on Medicaid that adversely affects hospitals, was authored by state Rep. Jack McFarland, R-Jonesboro, who chairs the Appropriations Committee that deals with the state budget; it passed 98-0. Senate Concurrent Resolution 32 from state Sen. Patrick McMath, R-Covington, chair of the Health and Welfare Committee, asks Congress to oppose “sweeping or indiscriminate cuts” to Medicaid. It passed the Senate 35-0 and the House 84-7.

Or maybe this might: Senate President Cameron Henry, R-Metairie, is lobbying his contacts in Congress to hold the line. If the deep cuts proposed in the Senate Finance Committee version of President Donald Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act become reality and take effect immediately, the Legislature would likely have to go into special session to deal with the fallout, Henry said at a post-legislative panel hosted by the Public Affairs Research Council.

The proposed Senate language has “a bunch of things in it that would have significant effects on Louisiana, not in a positive way,” Henry said. These effects could impact many of the roughly 1.8 million people in Louisiana who are covered by various Medicaid programs, and also all of those who seek care at rural hospitals that rely on Medicaid funding to keep their doors open. Among many other things, the bill would cut into the “provider taxes” that states use to draw down federal match money.

In an ideal world, Henry’s pleas would spur action from the Congressional delegation’s Republicans — who, after all, were elected to represent the same constituents as all those GOP representatives and senators who are asking for relief.

Yet the pull of national politics may be too strong.

On the Senate side, Louisiana should get a sympathetic ear from U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-Baton Rouge, chair of the committee that oversees health care, member of the Finance Committee and a physician who long treated Louisiana’s neediest patients in the old Charity Hospital system. Cassidy has an admirable history of putting the state’s needs first, most notably when he crossed party lines to work on the giant infrastructure package passed under former President Joe Biden, which at the senator’s behest was written to focus on some of Louisiana’s specific challenges.

Yet he is depressingly compromised by his own political situation — specifically a reelection campaign next year in which he’s been targeted by MAGA forces still angry that he voted to convict Trump at his second impeachment trial — so much so that he pushed through Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s confirmation despite deep, entirely justified misgivings and is going out of his way to voice enthusiasm for the president’s giant spending bill.

Then there are two top-ranking members on the House side, Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Benton, and Henry’s former boss Steve Scalise, R-Metairie, the majority leader. Certainly the two of them should be in a position to understand how much the cuts, even under the House-passed bill, would hurt their state. Like Cassidy, they both did time in the Louisiana Legislature, so the stakes are hardly unfamiliar.

Yet here’s how Henry characterized their response: “They’re aware of it, but they are also aware that the rest of the country wants changes.”

Well, OK, but Trump didn’t talk about making these particular changes on the campaign trail. And it’s not like the people these Louisiana members represent didn’t vote like the rest of the country. They did, giving Trump an easy 60% majority in Louisiana, compared to his just-under-50% winning plurality nationwide. The legislative resolutions asking for help came from lawmakers sent to Baton Rouge by those same people.

So I don’t know, maybe Cassidy, Johnson, Scalise and the rest might want to dig a little deeper and consider joining state legislators in doing what’s best for their own constituents — not just a president who demands, and somehow seems to get, their fealty at every turn.

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Louisiana

Louisiana communities brace for federal immigration crackdown amid uncertainty

Published

57 minutes ago

November 22, 2025

Press Room

Louisiana communities brace for federal immigration crackdown amid uncertainty

NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) – More than 200 federal agents are expected to descend on south Louisiana in the coming days, according to Associated Press sources, in an operation aimed at cracking down on undocumented immigrants in the state.

But a local criminologist says much remains unknown about the operation, which the AP reports is being called “Swamp Sweep.”

“How are you even identifying people who are illegal or un-legal is the primary question,” said Dr. Ashraf Esmail of Dillard University.

Earlier this week, FOX 8 asked U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., where he stands on the anticipated arrival of federal agents in his home state.

MORE: Federal immigration operation targets New Orleans area

“So, I agree with President Trump, we’ve got to crack down on the criminals who are [here] illegally, and I think it’s important to note that this problem dates back to the Biden administration. And I think there is a valid concern that some people being picked up are like not members of Tren de Aragua,” Cassidy said.

This week, NOPD Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick made it clear that immigration enforcement is not her department’s responsibility.

“I, you know, think the recent actions of the consent decree, etc. I think we’ve developed that trust, and I think if you ask the general public, they’re obviously against what’s going on, and I think we’re going to follow Chief Kirkpatrick in that we don’t want to be involved in this,” Esmail said.

FOX 8 also asked the Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office if it would assist federal immigration authorities by detaining individuals arrested for being in the country without authorization. A spokesperson said no one was available to speak on the matter.

However, Sheriff-elect Michelle Woodfork, who takes office in January, did respond.

Hispanic churches brace for Border Patrol operation in Louisiana

“As a law enforcement professional, I will always uphold and follow the law. What I can promise is that as sheriff, every person housed at OJC will be treated with dignity, respect, and humanity,” Woodfork said.

The St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office said it “will not comment on an operation conducted by another agency,” according to a prepared statement provided to FOX 8.

FOX 8 did not receive a response from the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement have also not released any details about the operation.

“Yes, they want to keep it private, but I think also again we’re at this time in New Orleans where we’re trying to again develop that trust and safety,” Esmail said.

Massive raids in other cities have led to large protests.

InspireNOLA CEO says schools will not allow immigration raids

“The way this is being conducted in other cities doesn’t seem, you know, people are like this is not the proper way of doing this, where people again are being stopped, arrested, not being charged, let go,” Esmail said.

“Local law enforcement counts on having a relationship with members of communities as part of their law enforcement,” he added.

“Violence is down, the last two or three years heading in a very positive direction, and so you don’t want this to kind of come down where it’s again violence starts, people are chaotic, people are nervous, etc.,” Esmail said.

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Louisiana

What is the best elementary school in Louisiana? These 11 rank at top

Published

19 hours ago

November 21, 2025

Press Room

What is the best elementary school in Louisiana? These 11 rank at top

When it comes to primary education, it’s important to choose a school that’s the right fit and offers educational opportunities.

U.S. News & World Report analyzed 103,391 Pre-Kindergarten, elementary and middle schools in order to determine which are the best throughout the U.S.

To do so, U.S. News & World Report assessed schools’ shares of students who were proficient in math and reading scores, and assessed such scores in the context of socioeconomic demographics.

US News & World Report best elementary schools in Louisiana for 2026

U.S. News & World Report analyzed 1,125 elementary schools in Louisiana, and these schools ranked as the 11 best.

1. Metairie Academy for Advanced Studies

Metairie Academy for Advanced Studies in Metairie is ranked as the best elementary school in Louisiana by U.S. News & World Report. This public elementary school serves Pre-Kindergarten to fifth grade, with a student population of 377 and a student-teacher ratio of 14:1. At this school, 98% of students scored at or above the proficient level for math, and 98% scored at or above the proficient level for reading.

2. T. S. Cooley Elementary Magnet School

T. S. Cooley Elementary Magnet School in Lake Charles is ranked as the second best elementary school in Louisiana by U.S. News & World Report. The student population of this schools is 302, and the school serves grades Kindergarten through fifth, with a student-teacher ratio of 19:1. Here, 92% of students scored at or above the proficient level for math, and 98% scored at or above the proficient level for reading.

3. South Highlands Elementary Magnet School

South Highlands Elementary Magnet School in Shreveport is the third best elementary school in Louisiana, according to U.S. News & World Report. This school has a student population of 512 with a student-ration of 16:1, serving grades Pre-Kindergarten through fifth. Ninety-seven percent of students scored at or above the proficient level for math and 92% scored at or above the proficient level in reading.

4. Gretna No. 2 Academy for Advanced Studies

Gretna No. 2 Academy for Advanced Studies in Gretna is a public school that serves Pre-Kindergarten through fifth grade. This school has a student population of 366 and a student-teacher ratio of 18:1. Here, 98% of students scored at or above the proficient level for math and 92% scored at or above the proficient level for reading, according to U.S. News & Word Report.

5. Airline Park Academy for Advanced Studies

Airline Park Academy for Advanced Studies is a public school in Metairie that serves Pre-Kindergarten through fifth grade. This school has a student population of 429 and a student-teacher ratio of 16:1. Ninety-two percent of students scored at or above the proficient level for math, and the same percentage scored at or above the proficient level for reading, according to U.S. News & World Report.

6. Fairfield Magnet School

Fairfield Magnet School is a public school in Shreveport that serves grades Pre-Kindergarten through fifth, with a student-teacher ratio of 15:1. The student population at this school is 528, with 93% scoring at or above the proficient level for math and 91% scoring at or above the proficient level for reading, says U.S. News & World Report.

7. Westdale Heights Academic Magnet School

Westdale Heights Academic Magnet School in Baton Rouge is a public school that serves Pre-Kindergarten through fifth grade. Here, the student population is 468 and the student-teacher ratio is 14:1. At this school, 92% of students scored at or above the proficient level for math and 90% scored at or above the proficient level for reading, says U.S. News & World Report.

8. Mayfair Laboratory School

Mayfair Laboratory School in Baton Rouge is a public school that has a student population of 504 and a student-teacher population of 11:1. This school serves grades Kindergarten through eighth, with 88% of students scoring at or above the proficient level for math and 87% scoring at or above the proficient level for reading, says U.S. News & World Report.

9. Ray St. Pierre Academy for Advanced Studies

Ray St. Pierre Academy for Advanced Studies is a public school in Westwego that serves Pre-Kindergarten through fifth grade. The school has a student population of 359 and a student-teacher ratio of 17:1. Here, 87% of students scored at or above the proficient level for math, and the same percentage scored at or above the proficient level for reading, according to U.S. News & World Report.

10. Phoenix Magnet Elementary School

Phoenix Magnet Elementary School is a public school in Alexandria that serves Pre-Kindergarten through fifth grade. This school has a student population of 319 and a student-teacher ratio of 13:1. Seventy-seven percent of students at this school scored at or above the proficient level for math and 92% scored at or above the proficient level for reading, according to U.S. News & World Report.

11. Eden Gardens Fundamental Elementary School

Eden Gardens Fundamental Elementary School is a public school in Shreveport that serves Kindergarten through fifth grade. The student population of this school is 506 and the student-teacher ratio is 16:1. At this school, 88% of students scored at or above the proficient level for math and 86% scored at or above the proficient level for reading, according to U.S. News & World Report.

Presley Bo Tyler is a reporter for the Louisiana Deep South Connect Team for Gannett/USA Today. Find her on X @PresleyTyler02 and email at PTyler@Gannett.com

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Louisiana

Which Louisiana schools would get lower grades under new rating system? Search here.

Published

2 days ago

November 20, 2025

Press Room

Which Louisiana schools would get lower grades under new rating system? Search here.

It’s report card day for Louisiana schools and many have reason to celebrate.

Statewide, 44% of elementary and middle schools and 70% of high schools earned an A or B based on academic results from the 2024-2025 school year, according to state data released Thursday. Collectively, Louisiana’s public schools earned a B, and the statewide performance score grew by nearly one point to 80.9 — the highest it’s been since the current rating system launched over a decade ago.

But for many schools, the good grades won’t last.

Next year, a tougher rating system will kick in. To help prepare schools and the public for the shift, the Louisiana Department of Education released simulated grades this year alongside schools’ official grades. The simulated grades, which carry no weight, show how schools would have fared this year had the new system been in effect. It’s the first public preview of how grades will likely change when the revamped rating system launches in 2026.

For elementary and middle schools, the results would look similar to today: Most would earn the same or better grades, with just 16% getting lower ratings. But for high schools, the difference would be dramatic: 76% would get lower grades under the revised rating system.

The searchable table below shows the actual grade each school and district earned this year, as well as simulated grades based on the revised system.

The next table shows school and district performance scores. The 2024 and 2025 scores are on a 150-point scale, while the simulated scores are on a 100-point scale.

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