Local boards join fight against education reforms by Michael DeVault - posted Thursday, July 5th, 2012 @ 12:00 pm  E-mail Story |  Print Story  A series of lawsuits challenging public education reform measures got additional plaintiffs recently when the Monroe City School Board and the Ouachita Parish School Board joined the fray. Ouachita Parish Schools joined a pair of lawsuits challenging the new laws, which divert tax dollars away from public school systems and direct that money to private schools that opt to take part in a state scholarship program. The state's two largest teachers unions – Louisiana Federation of Teacher and Louisiana Association of Educators – filed lawsuits in district court in East Baton Rouge Parish challenging the constitutionality of two education reform measures approved by the Legislature. Ouachita Parish School Board President Jerry Hicks charged that the new laws represent a violation of the state Constitution, which dictates how education dollars must be distributed. ..... For the full story, subscribe to the The Ouachita Citizen's NEW E-Edition!