Arkansas Lawmakers Gearing Up for 2026 Budget Session

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The Arkansas Legislature’s 2026 fiscal session will begin at noon on Wednesday, April 8, and lawmakers have already started pre-filing bills. The Arkansas House and Senate probably won’t pass any new laws, but they will set the State’s budget for the coming year.

We are looking forward to working with our friends at the Capitol on two important issues.

First, since 2022 we have worked with lawmakers to secure appropriations for grants to pregnancy help organizations. These pro-life charities provide material support to women with unplanned pregnancies — often free of charge.

Now that abortion is generally prohibited in Arkansas, we want to make it unthinkable and irrelevant as well. Giving women real options besides abortion is one way we can do that. That’s what makes this grant funding so vital.

Second, lawmakers will review appropriations for the Educational Freedom Accounts (EFAs) created by the 2023 LEARNS Act. The funding for these accounts lets students in Arkansas use public money to pay for an education at a public or private school or at home.

Many families may feel trapped by failing public school systems or by one-size-fits-all approaches to education. For those families, the EFA program offers options that help them and their children thrive.

We plan to work with lawmakers to ensure Arkansas’ EFA program treats home schooled students fairly in the coming year.

Look for more news and information about Arkansas’ 2026 budget session at FamilyCouncil.org.

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

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Proposed EFA Restrictions Do Not Appear on State Board of Education Agenda

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The State Board of Education is scheduled to meet at 12:30 PM this Thursday, February 12, at the Arkansas Department of Education Building located at Four Capitol Mall in Little Rock. The meeting agenda is available here.

It appears the board does not plan to vote on proposed rules prohibiting homeschoolers from using Educational Freedom Account (EFA) funding to pay for team sports under the LEARNS Act.

Family Council has reached out to state officials about the status of the proposed rules. Sources tell us that the board may choose to “table” the rules for discussion later on. The situation is still very fluid, so we will let you know if we learn of any changes between now and the State Board of Education meeting on Thursday.

Here is a little more information about the situation:

In January the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reported that the Department of Education planned to move forward with rules prohibiting EFA spending on team sports under the LEARNS Act despite public comments from more than 200 citizens who oppose them. Family Council and its homeschool division, the Education Alliance, were among those who submitted public comments against the proposed rules.

At the time, there was talk that the State Board of Education could cast a final vote on the rules at its February meeting.

The Department of Education’s proposed EFA restrictions go beyond what state law allows.

The restrictions would completely prohibit any EFA spending on registration fees, equipment costs, dues, and any costs associated with club or team sports.

Arkansas law clearly caps spending in these areas at 25% of a student’s total EFA funding, which means no more than one-fourth of a student’s EFA money can go toward team sports and extracurricular activities. The Department of Education wants to prohibit spending on team and club sports altogether.

Many homeschoolers have also pointed out that completely prohibiting EFA spending on team sports is unfair because public schools fund team sports with state money.

At this time it looks like the State Board of Education will not vote on the EFA restrictions at its February meeting this Thursday. Our office plans to monitor the situation. If the board decides to vote on the rules, we will let Arkansas’ home schoolers know.

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Educational Freedom Funding Tops $128.5M for Second Half of 2025

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Arkansas invested more than $128.5 million in Educational Freedom Account funding during the second half of 2025, according to data on the state’s financial transparency website.

In 2023, lawmakers passed the LEARNS Act overhauling public education in Arkansas.

The Educational Freedom Accounts (EFAs) authorized under the LEARNS Act make it possible for students to use public dollars to pay for an education at a public or private school or through home schooling. Family Council and our homeschool division, the Education Alliance, were pleased to support this good law, because it expands educational opportunities for families.

State data shows from July 1 to December 31 of 2025, Arkansas spent $128,543,373 on Educational Freedom Accounts.

Of that money, approximately $126.7 million went to pay for students’ educations, and $1.8 million went to operating expenses under the program.

EFA spending has been a topic of conversation over the past month. In December Family Council and its homeschool division, the Education Alliance, submitted public comments asking the Arkansas Department of Education to rethink a set of proposed rules prohibiting EFA money from being used for team sports under the LEARNS Act.

The proposed rules said that registration fees, equipment, dues, and any costs associated with club and team sports could not be paid for with EFA funding.

Many homeschoolers expressed concerns that completely prohibiting EFA spending on team sports would be unfair and would fail to track with state law. However, despite opposition, the Department of Education has opted to move forward with implementing the restrictions at this time.

Since the LEARNS Act launched three years ago, thousands of students have taken advantage of school choice in Arkansas. Many families feel that public education has deteriorated over the years. For those families, programs like the LEARNS Act could empower them with real alternatives that help their children succeed. That is part of the reason Family Council has supported the LEARNS Act and the EFA program.

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

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