re: Somebody please explain Landry's "school choice" plan to me like I'm 5.

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If the state decides to send out 5k for kids choosing private, in lieu of spending 18k to educate that child, how is it not a win for the state?

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A simple google search showed the following:
State Louisiana
K-12 Spending $12,993 per student

Currently, there is no cost associated with students choosing private schools, but under this bill, each student opting for private education will require a minimum of $5,000 in funding from us. Additionally, as previously mentioned, students may be expelled from private schools and re-enroll in public schools, adding at least $5,000 per student in additional funding.

Many people overlook the per-student expenses, which are not evenly distributed; students with special needs incur significantly higher costs, which can distort averages. These students will continue to attend public schools, meaning the state is funding the private education of those it spends the least on.

Another aspect to consider is that public schools require consistent funding for staff and facilities, unless there is a substantial decrease in student enrollment. For instance, if a school currently has four classes in the fourth grade and 10% of students opt for private schooling, the public school hasn't lost enough students to warrant cutting staff or facility expenses. So all the money supplementing the private school is additional funding than wasn’t previously required.