Editor: Louisiana's higher education model is failing

Business Report Executive Editor JR Ball kicks off his latest column by pointing to a single, startling fact that he says "should make anyone who breathes the contaminated air in this state shudder: Haiti commits a greater percentage of its budget (13%) to higher education than Louisiana (11%)." And Ball urges those so conditioned to hearing such bleak news that they might respond, "Well, at least we're not Mississippi," to consider that the Magnolia State commits 17.7% of its state budget to higher education—nearly 7 percentage points more than the Bayou State. "So pardon me if my reaction to the just-concluded regular legislative session is a bit more muted than that of those celebrating the 'historic' reforms that were approved by Gov. Bobby Jindal and friends," Ball writes. "No doubt it was a great session for those demanding reform of K-12 education, but it was another dismal one for higher education." Ball says the time has come for Jindal and Louisiana's leaders to get as serious about funding and restructuring higher education as they were about K-12 reforms this year. Read the full column here; and send your comments to [email protected].