Both Ways Bodi White
When it comes to school choice, Bodi White has concerns about taking kids out of public schools. Except when he tries to remove kids from Central Community Schools.
As the 2022 legislative session drew to a close, one of the most compelling late storylines was the battle between members of the House, and Senate Finance Chairman Bodi White.
Tensions spilled out into the open in the final days of the session, as Sen. White used his powerful perch to kill the bills of several House members, including bills to provide school choice for victims of bullying, military families, and foster kids that were opposed by Louisiana's powerful public education swamp.
Throughout the session, Bodi White tried to have it both ways on education issues- touting concerns of overcrowding in his controversial effort to remove some neighborhoods from his Central Community School System, and then repeating the education swamp's talking points on school choice, concerned about taking kids from public schools.
White's bill to remove some subdivisions from the Central Community School System was one of the session's most controversial- with several contentious hearings, and ultimately failing without receiving a vote on the House floor. Sen. White repeatedly made the case that the bill was needed to prevent overcrowding in Central's public schools:
Sen. Bodi White makes the case for his controversial SB 189, to remove some neighborhoods from the Central School District to prevent "overcrowding"
However, when House members came before his committee with bills to allow certain students- foster students, students who have been bullied and assaulted, and students of military families- to get funding to choose a better environment, Sen. White changed his tune, worrying about pulling kids out of public schools:
Sen. Bodi White rants about charter schools and educational savings accounts "taking away" from public schools
Senator White is not alone among members of the public education swamp in trying to have it both ways to stop Louisiana families from having better educational options for their kids. Just weeks ago, the Louisiana Association of School Superintendents was also caught making contradictory arguments in their efforts to keep students trapped in educational environments that don't always meet their unique situations.
As parents across the state awaken and begin fighting for what's best for their children, look for the education swamp and its allies like Sen. Bodi White to continue to do and say anything to protect the status quo in Louisiana's failing public education system.
You can read all of our past stories on Louisiana's public education swamp here.
Sign up here to receive future stories direct to your inbox. You can also follow us on Facebook and Twitter for updates!
