New reports from the Arkansas Department of Education show homeschooling’s surge has continued across the state.
The State of Arkansas tracks homeschool statistics and publishes reports every year. The newly updated reports for the recently-completed 2023-2024 school year reveal homeschooling peaked last year, with 32,767 homeschooled students in Arkansas.
Homeschooling has grown significantly over the past 30 years, but it has surged since the COVID-19 pandemic.
In 2019 there were a little less than 22,000 homeschoolers in Arkansas. In early 2020, those numbers climbed to 22,249. During the 2020-2021 school year, home schooling surged to 30,267 students. In 2022 and 2023, homeschooling hovered around 30,000 students. In 2024, homeschooling surged again, to 32,767 students.
One reason homeschooling increased during the past school year may be the new LEARNS Act, which lets families use public dollars to educate their children at a private school or at home.
Since its passage in 2023, more than 16,000 students have applied for funding under Arkansas’ LEARNS Act.
Many families feel like public education has deteriorated over the years, and they don’t like the direction it is heading. For those families, school choice legislation like the LEARNS Act could empower them with real alternatives that will help their children succeed.
That is part of the reason Family Council supported the 2023 LEARNS Act.
The fact that homeschooling continues to surge in Arkansas shows there is serious demand for school choice.
Articles appearing on this website are written with the aid of Family Council’s researchers and writers.
