17-04-2025
Two bills on Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders desk would impact school funding, vouchers
Video – Working 4 You: How are some recipients of Arkansas Education Freedom Accounts spending the money of Natural State taxpayers
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – Two bills on Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders' desk will impact school funding and place limits on voucher spending if they are signed into law.
House Bill 1312 would raise the per-student funding amount from $7,618 per student to $8,162 for the 2025-2026 school year, including $320 for employer contributions to insurance. In the 2026-2027 school year, the amount changes to $8,037 but does not include the insurance since that will now be paid directly to the Employee Benefits Division on behalf of public schools.
More than 34K Arkansas students apply for next school year's vouchers
The per-student fund is paid to schools by the state based on the previous school year's daily membership. Funding adequacy for public schools came from the Public School Funding Act of 2003, the response to the Arkansas Supreme Court's Lake View decision in 2002.
HB1312 was passed by the legislature on Tuesday, the day before the legislature went into recess, and transmitted to the governor on Wednesday.
Working 4 You: How are some recipients of Arkansas Education Freedom Accounts spending the money of Natural State taxpayers
Senate Bill 625 limits the funds that a student's Children's Educational Freedom Account Program may spend. Limits include limiting 25% of spending on extracurricular activities and transportation and, in most cases, not allowing the money to be used to purchase a video game console or a cell phone.
An Educational Freedom Account, part of the Arkansas LEARNS Act, pays 90% of the per-student funding amount to a student who is attending a private or home school. The program is open to all students for the 2025-2026 school year.
Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders announces Education Freedom Accounts now available for every family in Arkansas
SB625 was passed on the final work day of the 95th General Assembly.
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