re: Discussion: Is Louisiana dumb or do the other opportunities hinder it?

In general, people are lax. They live up or down depending on the norm around them. Public education is so farcically bad that it really doesn't provide a competitive contrast to private school. The main driver of private school enrollment is keeping your kids out of the public hell and cesspit options. The private schools just don't have to compete that hard because the majority of public schools aren't a real option. Combining the lower average pay with the added cost of private education weeds out those with common sense.