Last month, despite significant dissent from homeschool families, the Arkansas State Board of Education approved updates to their Education Freedom Accounts (EFA) program. State officials’ stated goal was to provide clearer guidance and greater accountability over how taxpayer dollars are spent through stricter rules. These new rules will standardize the approval practices within the program for what alternatively educated families across the state are allowed to purchase.
These state-funded savings programs are loaded with a portion of the money that a state government would have used to fund a child attending their public K-12 school. The money is used by homeschool and private school parents to pay for educational expenses.
New rules will require families to receive pre-approval on certain purchases that are not directly related to education, and restrictions on sports-related spending. Additionally, the program is capping rollover savings in a major way: savings were allowed to roll over from year to year up to $20,000, which will now be capped at $8,500, which is a significant cut to spending.
Education saving accounts through the EFA program were established under the The LEARNS Act, which was signed into law in 2023. The Arkansas education freedom account program prompted debate in the state following two isolated incidents of controversial purchases by home-educated families last year.
These rules changes to the program have created further debate. Proponents of the rules say that they will solidify public trust and the long-term viability of the program. Many homeschool families opposed these changes, sharing commentary and statements at a public hearing in June. Opponents stated that these new rules add unnecessary and unfair bureaucratic hurdles which harms the population that the program aims to aid. These new rules also restrict families to educate in ways that fit a particular child.
Although the rules were updated in June, they are not yet in effect. The new requirements will be implemented starting with the 2026-2027 school year.
Why Does This Matter on the National Scale?
While Arkansas’ new Educational Freedom Account rules will majorly impact home-based educators’ ability to freely access funds for their students, perhaps the most significant aspect of the State Board of Education’s rule change is what it represents on a national scale.
Rule changes like these raise questions about how school choice policies will work in our country. More and more state funds are being funneled into homeschooling and alternative forms of education, with many states rapidly rolling out education saving account programs. All of these new programs are prompting conversations across the nation about what requirements, data, and accountability measures state bureaucracy expects from homeschoolers in order to receive such funds.
Historically, homeschooling regulations have seen a hands-off approach within states’ regulatory frameworks. This rule change exemplifies an expansion of state oversight within homeschooling as school choice laws providing funding for alternative education continue to expand.