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Advance Enrollment for Military Families
Military orders don’t wait for the school calendar—and neither should your child’s education.
Louisiana helps military families plan ahead. If you are moving to Louisiana on active duty orders, your child can register for public school before your family moves to Louisiana.
The following items are needed:
- Official military orders showing you're being transferred to a base or duty location in Louisiana.
- A copy of the military orders should be sent to the local school system.
- Locally required enrollment forms should be completed.
- Proof of residency is not required immediately, but it will need to occur within 10 days of arriving in Louisiana.
Check With Your Local School System
- Each school system may have its own forms and timelines for advance enrollment.
- We recommend contacting your school system’s enrollment office as early as possible to learn about:
- Required documents
- School choice options within the school system
Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children
The Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children is an agreement among all 50 states and the District of Columbia to help military-connected students experience fewer school-related challenges when moving from one state to another.
The Compact ensures that states work together to handle common issues like:
- Enrolling in a new school
- Placing students in the right classes or programs
- Handling absences related to deployments
- Staying on track for graduation
By following this shared set of rules, states help reduce disruptions and make school transitions smoother for military families.
What to Expect in Louisiana
Louisiana honors the Interstate Compact and works to reduce barriers for military-connected students moving into or within the state. Schools aim to place students quickly, accept prior coursework, and provide flexibility around deployments.
Each school system has its own policies and points of contact, so we recommend reaching out to your local district early in the process. If questions arise, your school or district can connect you with someone who understands how the Compact is applied in Louisiana.
Purple Star Schools in Louisiana
Purple Star Schools are public schools that demonstrate a lasting commitment to meeting the needs of military-connected students and their families. In Louisiana, schools that earn the Purple Star designation implement practices that align with national recommendations and research-backed strategies, helping reduce the academic and life challenges often faced by students who relocate due to military service.
What Purple Star Schools Do
To earn the recognition, schools must designate a staff member to serve as a military liaison and commit to:
- Serve as the primary point of contact for military connected students and families
- Work to identify special considerations needed by military-connected students and families
- Develop training to inform teachers and other school personnel of those special considerations
- Create a dedicated page on its website featuring resources for military-connected students and families
- Create a student-led transition program to provide peer support for military-connected students
School systems also commit to:
- Adopt a resolution stating the commitment to support military-connected students and families
- Assign a central office staff member to be the contact for the school-based liaison and military-connected students and families
Why It Matters
Military-connected students often move multiple times during their school years and may face unique challenges, including adapting to new academic standards and coping with parental deployments. Purple Star Schools help make those transitions smoother and ensure students feel valued and supported at their new school.
Find a Purple Star School
As of April 2025
Beauregard Parish
- DeRidder High School
Bossier Parish
- Airline High School
- Apollo Elementary School
- Bellaire Elementary School
- Benton Elementary School
- Benton High School
- Benton Intermediate School
- Benton Middle School
- Cope Middle School
- Curtis Elementary School
- Elm Grove Elementary School
- Elm Grove Middle School
- Greenacres Middle School
- Haughton High School
- Haughton Middle School
- Kingston Elementary School
- Legacy Elementary School
- Platt Elementary School
- Plain Dealing High School
- Princeton Elementary School
- R. V. Kerr Elementary School
- Rusheon Middle School
- Southfield School (Nonpublic)
- Stockwell Place Elementary School
- Sun City Elementary School
- T.L. Rodes Elementary School
- W.T. Lewis Elementary School
- Waller Elementary School
Caddo Parish
- C.E. Byrd High School
- Caddo Parish Magnet High School
- Captain Shreve High School
- Eden Gardens Fundamental Elementary School
- Youree Drive Middle Advanced Placement Magnet School
Orleans Parish
- New Orleans Military & Maritime Academy
- St. Edward the Confessor School (New Orleans Archdiocese)
Plaquemines Parish
- Belle Chasse Academy
Vernon Parish
- Leesville High School
- Parkway Elementary School
- Pickering High School
- Rosepine High School
(BATON ROUGE, LA) - The Louisiana Department of Education (LDOE) announced today that it received more than 39,000 student applications for the Louisiana Giving All True Opportunity to Rise (LA GATOR) Scholarship Program for the 2025–2026 school year. Of those, nearly 35,000 students have been determined eligible.
The number of eligible students the program can serve depends on the funding allocation approved by the Louisiana Legislature during the current session. Governor Jeff Landry requested just over $93 million for the program in his executive budget, which would serve approximately 12,000 students.
“These astounding numbers show just how vital the Gator Scholarship is to Louisianans. With over 39,000 applicants, this program is helping parents of children with disabilities and low-income families. The Gator Scholarship is finally putting parents in the driver’s seat and allowing them to select the learning environment that best suits their needs and values,” said Gov. Landry.
Student applications were accepted from March 1 to April 15. In total, the LDOE received 39,189 applications. Of those:
- 34,848 have been deemed eligible for funding
- 81% of applicants come from families at or below 250% of the federal poverty level
- Nearly 3,000 applicants are students with disabilities
“This is among the largest turnouts for a new ESA program in the nation,” said Louisiana State Superintendent of Education Dr. Cade Brumley. “Louisiana families are making it clear—they want more educational options and the freedom to choose what works best for their children.”
Student Funding Prioritization
The LA GATOR Scholarship Program is funded annually by the Louisiana Legislature. If there is not enough funding to cover every eligible student, awards are prioritized in this order:
- Students currently in the Louisiana Scholarship Program or LA GATOR
- Students with a disability under IDEA or from families earning ≤250% of the federal poverty level
- Siblings of current LA GATOR or LSP students
- All other eligible students
If multiple students fall in the same priority group, applications are ordered by submission timestamp. Students who applied earlier within the window are prioritized over later applicants.
What’s Next
Along with waiting on a funding decision from the Louisiana Legislature, the future of LA GATOR also depends on a vote later this month by the Joint Legislative Committee on the Budget (JLCB) to extend the program’s current management contract - which is set to end in June. Already approved by the Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE), the contract amendment extends the current contract to June 2026 and includes the operation of LA GATOR for the 2025-2026 school year.
Families will be notified of their child’s priority status and suggested next steps before the end of April. Award notifications will be issued after the Louisiana Legislature finalizes the state budget and Governor Landry signs it into law. The current legislative session is scheduled to end no later than June 12.
Transition from the Louisiana Scholarship Program to LA GATOR
The Louisiana Scholarship Program (LSP) will continue through the end of the 2024–2025 school year and officially end on June 30, 2025. Beginning with the 2025–2026 school year, eligible LSP families who applied for LA GATOR will transition into the new program. Early estimates show that at least 91% of current LSP families applied for LA GATOR.
LSP Students Receive Top Priority
- Students who participated in LSP during the 2024–2025 school year are part of Phase 1 of LA GATOR and are designated as Priority 1 for funding.
- Of Governor Landry’s over $93 million request for LA GATOR, $43 million is dedicated to cover all current LSP students.
- These over 5,000 students will be the first group considered for awards once legislative funding is finalized.
- If an LSP student remains at the same school, they will continue to receive the same award amount they received through LSP until they finish the school’s final grade or leave the school.
About the LA GATOR Scholarship Program
The LA GATOR Scholarship Program is Louisiana’s first education scholarship account (ESA), providing scholarship accounts to eligible students. Parents can use these funds for approved educational services, such as:
- Nonpublic school tuition and fees
- Tutoring and educational therapies
- Textbooks and curricula
- Dual enrollment courses
- Uniforms
Signed into law by Governor Landry, the LA GATOR Scholarship Program represents a significant step in expanding educational freedom in Louisiana. It complements the state’s numerous school choice offerings, which include traditional public schools, public charter schools, nonpublic schools, and home study programs.
Families used the Odyssey platform to complete applications and can expect further updates through the platform and via email in the coming weeks. To learn more, visit lagator.la.gov.