Arkansas Governor Signs Omnibus LEARNS Act Into Law

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Above: Gov. Sanders signs the LEARNS Act into law during a bill signing ceremony at the Arkansas Capitol.

On Wednesday Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders signed S.B. 294, the LEARNS Act, into law.

The LEARNS Act is a good law that could provide students in Arkansas with unprecedented access to education.

As we have written before, the LEARNS Act will make it possible for students to receive a publicly-funded education at a public or private school or at home.

The LEARNS Act will empower families to make decisions about how they educate their children. That could give families real education choices that will help their children succeed.

The LEARNS Act also prohibits critical race theory in public schools, and it protects young elementary school children from inappropriate sexual material.

We are grateful to legislators for passing the LEARNS Act, and we applaud Gov. Sanders for signing it into law.

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Senate Committee Passes Bill Expanding Interscholastic Opportunities for Home Schoolers

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On Wednesday the Senate Education Committee passed a bill expanding interscholastic opportunities for home schoolers.

S.B. 361 by Sen. Matt McKee (R – Pearcy) and Rep. Cameron Cooper (R – Romance) amends Arkansas’ “Tim Tebow” law that lets home schoolers participate in athletics and other interscholastic activities at their local public schools. The “Tebow” law is named after former NFL quarterback Tim Tebow was able to play football as a home schooler thanks to a similar law in Florida.

S.B. 361 makes it easier for home schoolers to participate in an activity in a neighboring school district if their local district doesn’t offer the activity.

It also clarifies requirements in the “Tebow” law about enrollment in public school classes and about the waiting period for students who withdraw from a public school to start home schooling.

As we said when lawmakers passed it in 2013, the “Tim Tebow” law is about school choice.

It empowers families by providing children with interscholastic options as well as educational options. That’s how it should be.

Last summer Family Council obtained government data showing at least 463 home schooled students utilized the “Tim Tebow” law in 2021.

The “Tim Tebow” law is a good law that Family Council has been pleased to support over the years.

You Can Read S.B. 361 Here.

Articles appearing on this website are written with the aid of Family Council’s researchers and writers.

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Arkansas House Resolution Honors Home Schooling

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Above: Rep. Cooper is H.R. 1021’s lead sponsor.

A resolution filed in the Arkansas House of Representatives on Tuesday honors home schooling across the state.

H.R. 1021 by Reps. Cameron Cooper (R – Romance), Delia Haak (R – Siloam Springs), Wayne Long (R – Bradford), and Mindy McAlindon (R – Centerton) recognizes the fact that home schooling provides educational flexibility and benefits to more than 30,000 students in Arkansas.

The resolution also sets aside Tuesday, February 21, 2023, as Home School Day at the Arkansas State Capitol.

Family Council has always believed families deserve options when it comes to education. That’s one reason we support home schooling.

Home schooling is a great example of how giving families options can help their children flourish.

Family Council has supported home schooling for more than 25 years, because it empowers parents to give their son or their daughter the education that’s right for them. Home schooling in Arkansas has been incredibly successful as a result.

You Can Read H.R. 1021 Here.

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