Still no "Red Tape" takers

As Will Sentell from The Advocate points out here, no school boards have yet taken Gov. Jindal and Supt. Pastorek up on the Red Tape Act's offer to waive laws and policies.

Even though Pastorek has touted the act as a way to relieve budget stress, there have been no takers.

There are a couple of possible reasons for this hesitancy. As the article notes, the Louisiana Federation of Teachers has filed a suit challenging the act's constitutionality. Perhaps school boards are leery of gearing up for a program that may get snuffed by the courts.

But here's another one: maybe the school boards just don't trust Pastorek and Jindal. As DeSoto Superintendent of Schools Walter Lee observes, a careful reading of the law reveals that it might make it easier for the state to seize control of local schools.

That hasn't worked too well for local systems.