Three Home Schoolers From Arkansas Named National Merit Scholar Semifinalists

Home School

Recently the National Merit Scholarships named 141 high school students from Arkansas as National Merit Scholar Semifinalists.

Of those students, three were home schoolers:

  • Margaret Stiritz from Russellville
  • Josiah Linderman from Searcy
  • Christian Wilson from Sherwood

To be named as a National Merit Scholar Semifinalist is a tremendous honor.

Students vying for the National Merit Scholarships apply by taking the PSAT exam.

The Arkansas Department of Education has taken steps this year to increase home schoolers’ access to the PSAT.

Please join us in congratulating these students on their achievement!

Photo by Joshua Hoehne on Unsplash

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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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