School Choice

School Choice and Homeschool in Arkansas

Private school choice programs, charter schools, homeschool rules and private schools in Arkansas. Facts as of November 2026.

Choice programs1At least one is universal
Charter schoolsAllowedPublic charter law
Homeschool noticeYesTesting: No

Private school choice programs

How they work ›

Arkansas Children's Educational Freedom Account (Education Freedom Account)

Education savings account Universal Enacted 2023

Open to every Arkansas resident eligible to enroll in a public elementary or secondary school; the program was required to be fully implemented for all eligible children by 2025-26.

Created by the LEARNS Act (Act 237 of 2023); phased in from 2023-24 and open to all eligible students since 2025-26. Account funds equal 90% of the prior year's statewide foundation funding per student.

Official source

Charter schools

Arkansas has a public charter school law.

Official source

Homeschool rules

Parents file an annual notice of intent with the resident school district superintendent by August 15 (or within 30 days of moving in). State testing is not required; participation in state-funded tests such as the PSAT or ACT is optional. Check your state's law before you start.

Notice: Yes Testing: No

Law: Ark. Code Ann. § 6-15-501 et seq.. Official source

Notes

The Succeed Scholarship Program for students with disabilities (Act 1178 of 2015) was repealed by Act 237 of 2023 and folded into the Education Freedom Account. The ADE EFA page did not display eligibility text, so 2026-27 funding amounts and application dates were not confirmed from an official source.

Some items in a note may rest on news reports rather than an official source.

Private schools in Arkansas

The private school list will appear here after the first scheduled update.

From the blog

The Heckler's Veto on Campus and What the First Amendment Says About ItWhen a crowd shouts down a speaker or a college cancels an event over threatened disruption, the mob wins a veto the First Amendment does not allow.A Thought Experiment on Grocery Stores Assigned by ZIP CodeA labelled satire: assign each family one grocery store by address and call complaints an attack on public food, then see what that says about assigned schools.Your First Year of Homeschooling, a Practical Playbook for ParentsA step-by-step plan for the first year: find your state's legal category, withdraw properly, pick a curriculum, keep records, test and plan for transcripts.Microschools Are the One-Room Schoolhouse Reborn, With Modern RulesSmall multi-age schools taught most Americans for generations. Microschools revive the model, and zoning, fire codes and licensing are the obstacles.

Sources: Arkansas General Assembly: Act 237 of 2023 (LEARNS Act), Arkansas DESE: Education Freedom Accounts, Arkansas DESE: Charter Schools, Arkansas DESE: Home School Notice of Intent, Arkansas DESE: Rules Governing Home Schools, NCES Private School Universe Survey. State facts as of November 2026. Check your state's law before you start.