Louisiana First in the Nation to Provide School Finder
Amy Fennell • November 7, 2017
BATON ROUGE, La. - The Louisiana Department of Education released a comprehensive online reporting system detailing how well child care centers and schools statewide are preparing students, birth through grade 12, for the next grade level and beyond. The interactive system, called the Louisiana School Finder, details the first-ever early childhood performance profiles and the annual school performance scores, among other information valuable to families. It is the first of its kind in the nation.
"It is a great step forward for our state to report on the good work going on in early childhood centers alongside their counterparts in K-12 systems," said State Superintendent John White. "This effort supports the most fundamental purpose of the state's rating system: to use the power of information to focus all involved on student learning. We encourage families, educators, business and community leaders, and partners to continue to engage in this new system and to inform its evolution. Our collective dialogue about education is grounded in a shared understanding of both successes of the past and challenges ahead."
LOUISIANA SCHOOL FINDER
The early childhood performance profiles and the K-12 school performance scores are reported this year through the new Louisiana School Finder, an interactive, comprehensive online reporting system. The Louisiana School Finder, unveiled today after more than a year of public discussion and planning, provides families with:
school performance scores and early childhood performance ratings to show how well schools and centers are preparing students for the next grade-level;
basic information about schools and centers such as their address, website, hours of operation, and principal or director's name; and
listings of course offerings, clubs, enrichment and extracurricular activities.
"The Louisiana School Finder will be a valuable tool available to parents, community members and those looking to locate information and data on success indicators on all schools," said Sonny Savoie, President of the Louisiana PTA. "This information will enable parents to make informed choices relative to the schools that will provide their children with the greatest opportunity for a successful education."
Louisiana’s 2026 Regular Session opened this week with several developments that matter directly to REALTORS ®, property managers and housing providers, alongside some broader political shifts worth watching. HB 292: Security Deposit Return Timelines Rep. Delisha Boyd’s HB 292, which addresses procedures for returning residential security deposits, was deferred to next week. This provides additional time for stakeholders to engage with members on practical impacts for lease administration, move out inspections and documentation standards. We’ll continue working to ensure any changes to deposit law are clear, workable and do not expose housing providers to unreasonable liability. Land Use and Development: St. James Parish Decision The Louisiana Supreme Court’s recent St. James Parish decision significantly tightens the standards for overturning local land use decisions, reinforcing that zoning and permitting authority rests with parish and municipal governments as long as their decisions are not arbitrary or capricious. For real estate and development, that means more predictability if projects are aligned with adopted plans and ordinances, but also higher stakes in local elections, planning processes and parish-level negotiations. Governor’s State of the State In his State of the State address, Governor Jeff Landry reiterated his push to phase out the state income tax, expand the LA GATOR and MJ Foster scholarship and workforce programs, and replace vehicle inspection stickers with a QR code system. These programs frame a debate around long-term competitiveness, workforce readiness and household cost of living which are all key drivers of housing demand and migration patterns. Business & Market Trends The business community is focusing the session on insurance, workforce and energy. Commercial and property insurance costs remain a top concern for employers and property owners, and we are monitoring civil justice and insurance reform proposals that could affect market stability and availability. At the same time, Louisiana is seeing more than $100 billion in announced industrial and data center projects, which could reshape local markets, labor conditions and housing needs in multiple regions of the state. Please view the weekly bill tracking report at the link below provided by our lobbying team over at Harris, DeVille and Associates.
Learn how Louisiana real estate regulations, disclosure laws, and licensing standards help protect homebuyers and create safer, more transparent transactions.
Nominations are open now through April 24, 2026, for the Louisiana REALTORS® 2025 REALTOR® of the Year & the 2025 Lawrence R. DeMarcay, Jr. Distinguished Service Award. Both awards are aimed to showcase an individual who has volunteered their time in service to the real estate industry. Recipients of the awards will be recognized during the Spring Legislative Conference. (Registration coming soon!) Please see the below links with the selection criteria and consider submitting a nomination today. Contact Donna Teekel at (225) 224-0704 or dteekel@larealtors.org with any questions.
