In 1999, the Louisiana State Legislature created the Millennium Trust to provide for the disposition of proceeds from the tobacco settlement. The same legislation that created the Millennium Trust, Louisiana Revised Statute (LRS) 39:98.1 39:98.5, also established the Education Excellence Fund (EEF) as a component of the Millennium Trust.
The Louisiana Department of Education (LDOE) is responsible for providing the appropriations and oversight of monies from the Education Excellence Fund with the specific purpose of ensuring that all expenditures are used to support “excellence in educational practice.”
The Department distributes funds to eligible local education agencies based on student enrollment:
85% of the appropriation is distributed to local school systems and charter schools based on the number of students in the most recent Minimum Foundation Program (MFP) Budget Letter.
15% of the appropriation is distributed to approved non public schools based on the number of students as reported for the previous school year.