The Advocate (Baton Rouge, La)

A legislative bill to create a tax break on private school tuition would now also offer relief on the cost of uniforms for public and private schoolchildren. House Bill 7 was simply supposed to be a 50 percent tax deduction for up to $5,000 in private school tuition and home-schooling expenses parents pay per child. The maximum tax savings would be $300 for each child.

Some of the renovations ordered by the former LSU law school chancellor in his final months are being reviewed for overspending and misleading documentation, LSU System officials said.

ROSELAND — Fourth-grade English teacher Stephanie Sims recently counseled her students to remember what “the big picture” means. The Roseland Elementary School students were preparing to read a passage from a worksheet designed to improve test-taking skills with reading comprehension.

The state plans to launch a new bid to improve student achievement in public schools with an intense focus on improving math and reading skills, state Superintendent of Education Paul Pastorek said Thursday.

Up to 15 public schools in East Baton Rouge Parish likely will be eligible for state takeovers later this year, officials said Wednesday.

System president reportedly told O’Keefe to start job hunting
LSU Chancellor Sean O’Keefe may soon have to look for a new job, according to e-mails circulating Thursday among some of the state’s top business leaders.

Ronald Dugas Jr. had a smile on his face Thursday that said more than he was willing to tell. Dugas was sent to the Tangipahoa Parish school system’s new military-style boot camp at Northwood High School after an incident at Loranger Middle School last spring.

BAINS — Sixth-grade students at West Feliciana Middle School will soon have something extra to take home in their book sacks: laptop computers.

LAFAYETTE — Lafayette Parish School Board member Greg Awbrey said Thursday that he intends to continue a push to relieve parish teachers overwhelmed with student attendance paperwork.