The Arkansas Department of Education has announced that its Education Freedom Account system is providing more school choice options for families in the state. In the past four weeks, there has been a significant increase in applications for the program, which is still open for new applicants.
Arkansas Education Secretary Jacob Oliva emphasized the importance of empowering parents and offering alternatives to the traditional ‘one-size-fits-all’ education model. Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders has allocated half of the state’s proposed $6.5 billion budget for the upcoming fiscal year towards Education Freedom Accounts.
The program covers about 90% of the previous year’s per-student public school funding, amounting to roughly $6,600 per student. The funding for the next school year will be divided between scholarship and regular students. School districts, such as Farmington, are recognizing the demand for choice and are working with the state to accommodate families interested in participating.
For the first time, all Arkansas student applications will be accepted this academic year, opening up opportunities for more families to benefit from the program. Over 34,000 applications have already been submitted, a significant increase compared to the previous year.
At a recent state board of education meeting, Secretary Oliva mentioned a tentative program size limit of around 40,000 participants, indicating that efforts are being made to accommodate all interested families. To apply, parents are required to create an account on the online portal and provide proof of residency along with their student’s birth certificate.
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