LSMSA executive director warns against legislative reductions to EXCEL program

BATON ROUGE -- Louisiana School for Math, Science and the Arts Executive (LSMSA) Director Patrick Widhalm warned Monday that legislative reductions to the Natchitoches school’s funding would be a death knell for its EXCEL program that admits teens from the state’s underperforming schools into the competitive program.

The testimony was presented to the House Appropriations subcommittee on elementary and secondary education Monday.

LSMSA, the New Orleans School for The Creative Arts, and Louisiana Schools for the Deaf and Visually Impaired, testified how proposed budget cuts under the previous $2 billion deficit for the coming fiscal year would negatively impact their institutions.

The Division of Administration has not released updated figures on the cuts to these special schools under the new $750 million deficit projection, lessened by the tax revenue passed during the legislative special session in February.

House Fiscal Division’s budget analysist Tim Mathis said the cuts would be substantially less than the $24 million proposed in the initial executive budget.

Widhalm indicated the EXCEL program costs the state nearly $30,000 and would be one of the first programs eliminated under any scenario that would require spending cuts.

The program focuses on bringing 20 to 30 students with high grade point averages but low standardized test scores onto LSMSA’s campus for a month-long summer bridge program where the students take classes in science, math, English, history, visual/performing arts, and also ACT preparatory courses.