Applications top 10,000 for school voucher program

The state education department has received more than 10,000 applications for Louisiana's statewide voucher program set to start in August that will use taxpayer money to send students to private and parochial schools.

Superintendent of Education John White announced the applicant numbers Wednesday.

As many as 2,000 of the applicants are in an existing New Orleans voucher program. The others will be vying for slots available to new students under the statewide program pushed by Gov. Bobby Jindal.

Voucher seats will be doled out among students through a lottery process next week.

White also announced the criteria for schools participating in the program, including increased scrutiny for schools that are seeking to more than double their enrollment by adding voucher students.