School voucher program allowed to begin in August

A Baton Rouge judge has refused to prevent the start of a statewide voucher program that will use tax dollars to send children to private and parochial schools.

The decision Tuesday by Judge Tim Kelley means the program pushed by Gov. Bobby Jindal will begin in August, while a lawsuit by teacher unions and local school boards over the constitutionality of the voucher program continues to wind its way through the court.

Kelley determined he couldn't issue an injunction blocking the program's start because of a law that bars injunctions if a state agency chief says that injunction would cause a deficit in the department.

Jindal-backed Superintendent of Education John White said his department would face a deficit if the laws creating and funding the voucher program were blocked.