Arkansas Senator Wants to Limit Spending on School Choice Program

LITTLE ROCK, AR. - An Arkansas state senator is proposing a new law to reduce how much money the state spends on its school choice voucher program. State Senator Bryan King, a Republican, believes the program is currently too expensive and not managed responsibly.

School choice vouchers, also known as "education freedom accounts," are a major part of the governor's LEARNS Act, a key education law. These vouchers help families pay for private school tuition. However, Senator King and others are questioning if the state can afford the program and if it's truly helping students as intended.

This year, the state originally set aside $187 million for the voucher program. But when more students applied than expected, especially after the vouchers became available to all students, the cost jumped to $309 million. The state had to use extra money from its savings twice to cover the difference. The governor now suggests budgeting $309 million for the program in 2027, with an additional $70 million ready if it expands further.

Senator King, expressing his concerns, said "When something is not financially sound, it needs to be fixed quickly,".

King's proposed bill aims to control spending by making two main changes:

• Vouchers would only be given to students who are not already attending private schools.
• The amount of money given for each voucher would be capped at $5,000 per school year. Students would also need to keep up their grades to continue receiving the voucher.

Senator King argues that much of the money currently goes to students already in private schools. He believes that funding the voucher program is taking money away from other important state needs, like supporting local cities and counties, and maintaining roads and water systems.

However, many lawmakers, including fellow Republicans who supported the LEARNS Act, oppose King's efforts. State Senator Bart Hester said that King's proposals are not usually taken seriously by the legislature. Senator Breanne Davis, a main sponsor of the LEARNS Act, stated that the priority is to fully fund the school choice accounts as promised to families across Arkansas.

Because Senator King's bill is not about the state budget, it needs a two-thirds vote in both the House and Senate to pass, which is a difficult goal to reach.