Over the past several months, Arkansas homeschool families have raised serious concerns about new rules affecting homeschoolers participating in the state’s Educational Freedom Account (EFA) program.
Here is a brief recap of how we got to where we are today and where things may go from here.
2023 – 2025: From Law to Rulemaking
Lawmakers created the EFA program in 2023, making it possible for Arkansas students to use public funds to pay for an education at a public or private school or at home. Thousands of students have taken advantage of school choice in Arkansas under this program, and many homeschool families have benefited from it.
Last year, the Arkansas Legislature passed S.B. 625 reducing EFA vendor fees and placing some spending restrictions on extracurricular activities, PE courses, fine arts, music, STEM, and field trips.
These are areas where homeschoolers have experienced significant price increases since the start of the EFA program. Cutting vendor fees and capping certain costs encourages educational providers to keep their prices down.
We were able to work with our friends at the Arkansas Department of Education and the governor’s office to amend S.B. 625 to be sure it restricts fees without placing any undue burdens on homeschoolers.
However, later in 2025, the Arkansas Department of Education began developing new administrative rules for the EFA program. Early proposals included significant restrictions on how EFA funds could be used — especially when it came to team sports.
December of 2025: Concerns Arise Over Team Sports Restrictions in New Rules
By December, homeschool families and organizations began voicing concerns about proposals that would prohibit EFA spending on many team sports.
Family Council and the Education Alliance urged state officials to reconsider these restrictions.
Despite these concerns, state officials signaled in January that they did not intend to change course.
2026: Proposal Moves Forward
In the weeks that followed, the Department of Education amended its proposed restrictions, but concerns remained. By March, it was clear the rules could prevent homeschool students from using EFA funds for extracurriculars that limit participation based on tryouts or ability — even though public schools continue to fund team sports with state dollars.
Family Council and the Education Alliance continued to communicate with homeschoolers and policymakers, emphasizing that the proposed rules would limit educational choice and disproportionately affect homeschool families.
April 9: State Board of Education Approves New Rules
On April 9, the State Board of Education approved a new set of EFA rules.
Among other things, these revised rules:
- Prohibit using EFA funds for team sports that require tryouts or limit participation based on ability
- Establish new categories and restrictions on allowable educational expenses
- Reduce the maximum balance families can carry in their EFA accounts.
These changes mark a significant shift in how homeschool families may use EFA funds, and they go beyond the reasonable restrictions the Arkansas Legislature approved last year.
What Happens Next
The rules have now been sent to the Arkansas Legislature for review, where a subcommittee of either the Joint Budget Committee or the Arkansas Legislative Council will review them and make a final recommendation on whether to approve or reject the rules.
That means there is still an opportunity for legislators to address concerns raised by homeschool families.
We are urging homeschoolers across the state to call the Arkansas House of Representatives and Arkansas Senate, and ask their lawmakers to listen to Arkansas’ homeschool families.
You can call 501-682-2902 to leave a message asking your state senator to oppose these measures.
You can call 501-682-6211 to leave a message asking your state representative to oppose these measures.
You can read our public comments on the proposed rules here.
You can read our entire policy brief about the new rules here.
Family Council and the Education Alliance continue to monitor this process as it moves forward.
Articles appearing on this website are written with the aid of Family Council’s researchers and writers.
