Home Schooling Sees Uptick Following Pandemic: Report

Home School

According to The Hill, a recent Census Bureau report shows an increase in home schooling since the start of the coronavirus pandemic:

“Before the pandemic, only 5.4 percent of households reported home-schooling children. During the pandemic, that number jumped to 11.1 percent.”

The Census Bureau’s report shows the percentage of households home schooling in Arkansas jumped from 6.8% in spring of 2020 to 10.3% by last fall.

That means as many as one in ten families in Arkansas home schooled their children during the 2020-2021 school year.

This year almost 30,000 Arkansas students — 29,880 according to Arkansas Department of Education — are enrolled in home schooling.

That’s a six-fold increase since Family Council launched the Education Alliance in 1998 and an 8,000 student increase since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

For 23 years the Education Alliance has supported home schooling in Arkansas, because it gives families the flexibility to provide the education that’s right for their children.

It’s good to see more families taking advantage of this excellent opportunity.

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More Evidence Marijuana Use During Pregnancy May Harm Newborns

Marijuana

A recent study out of California found a link between heavy marijuana use during pregnancy and negative health outcomes among children.

Researchers found infants were 35% more likely to die within a year of birth if the mother used marijuana heavily; the study also found that infants were more likely to be born preterm, have a low birth weight, and be small for their gestational age.

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, recent studies have shown marijuana use during pregnancy is rising, with some expectant mothers reportedly using it to relieve nausea and vomiting.

In 2019 the U.S. Surgeon General issued an advisory warning women not to use marijuana during pregnancy.

That same year the Arkansas Department of Health issued an advisory on marijuana as well.

Among other things, the Arkansas Department of Health’s advisory noted, “Marijuana is particularly harmful to a developing child. Smoking marijuana during pregnancy is associated with being born at low birth weight, a risk factor for death in the child’s first year of life.”

This latest research seems to confirm that marijuana is dangerous to children.

All of this underscores what we have said for years: Marijuana may be many things, but “harmless” simply is not one of them.

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State Lottery Still Overspending on Prizes, Undercutting Scholarships

Arkansas Lottery

The Arkansas Lottery recently released its financial report for the month of April.

The report shows the Arkansas Lottery took in more than $65.5 million last month. However, less than $12.3 million went to scholarships — about 19 cents out of every dollar the Arkansas Lottery made.

The report also shows the Arkansas Lottery spent nearly $47 million on prizes for lottery players. That’s approximately 71.6% of the lottery’s revenue.

For perspective, the typical state lottery budgets approximately 25% – 30% of its revenue for education and about 60% for prizes.

Recently, S.B. 649 by Sen. Charles Beckham (R – McNeil) and Rep. Richard Womack (R – Arkadelphia) would have required the Arkansas Lottery to increase the percentage of its revenue budgeted for scholarships to 25% over the next six years. 

This would have brought the Arkansas Lottery up to the standards of the typical state-run lottery — and it most likely would have provided millions of additional dollars in scholarship funding.

However, the legislation failed to pass, and the Arkansas Lottery is still operating irresponsibly.

Click here to see the Arkansas Lottery’s April financial reports.

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