Little Rock, Ark. — On Monday members of the Arkansas General Assembly filed S.B. 294, the LEARNS Act. The bill gradually implements a system of publicly funded accounts that Arkansas students can use to pay for things like tuition, curriculum, and other education expenses.
Family Council President Jerry Cox issued a statement, saying, “This voluntary school choice program could provide students in Arkansas with unprecedented access to education. Once the measure is fully implemented, Arkansas law would make it possible for students to receive a publicly-funded education at a public or private school or at home. Students who choose to attend a private school or who are educated at home under the current form of this bill would take a norm-referenced test or other assessment approved by the State Board of Education every year. The bill does not require students make a certain score on that test. I’m sure many families will appreciate that.”
Cox pointed out that S.B. 294 is an omnibus education bill. “A lot of us have focused on the school choice element of the bill, but the measure deals with critical race theory, teacher salaries, protecting elementary school children from inappropriate sexual material at school, and a lot of other important issues. That’s something to keep in mind as well.”
Cox noted that the bill utilizes the State Board of Education to establish the school choice program. “Much of what the LEARNS Act does is provide a framework that the State Board of Education and the Department of Education will use as it sets up the program between 2023 and 2025. The framework in the bill is good, and if the bill passes, we will know more details about how the program will work once the state board begins announcing plans to implement it. Hearings on the bill are currently underway. We are monitoring those hearings to see if amendments are added to the proposed legislation. We all want to make sure students get the best education possible, and we look forward to working with policymakers so that the LEARNS Act will help as many students in Arkansas as possible.”
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