Louisiana has received federal approval for its “Returning Education to the States” waiver, giving state education leaders greater control over how certain federal education funds are used. Louisiana becomes only the second state in the nation to receive the waiver.

The approval from the U.S. Department of Education allows the Louisiana Department of Education to direct more funding toward state priorities aimed at improving student achievement. Officials say the added flexibility will help support areas such as reading and math instruction, high-dosage tutoring, career and technical education, teacher recruitment and retention, and improving student attendance.

State leaders say the waiver will reduce federal administrative requirements and allow more money to reach classrooms instead of being tied up in compliance-related costs. The waiver is expected to free more than $18 million through fiscal year 2029 for targeted educational initiatives across Louisiana schools.

Louisiana State Superintendent of Education Dr. Cade Brumley said the state’s recent academic gains helped demonstrate Louisiana’s ability to effectively manage the funding. Recent national reports ranked Louisiana first in the country for reading progress and second for math progress. State officials also noted Louisiana is currently the only state performing above 2019 levels in both reading and math achievement.

Federal education officials said Louisiana’s focus on evidence-based literacy instruction and academic recovery efforts played a major role in the waiver approval.