FORT SMITH -- Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders touted an expansion of the state's Education Freedom Accounts, which will make more students eligible for school vouchers, during a visit Monday to a Fort Smith private school.
Education Freedom Accounts are part of the LEARNS Act -- Sanders' signature education legislation that passed last year -- and are designed to help eligible families choose what school they want their student to attend. The vouchers help pay for tuition, fees, uniforms and other education-related expenses, according to the Division of Elementary and Secondary Education website.
While visiting Harvest Time Academy -- a private, Christian preschool and elementary school -- Sanders said she couldn't be more excited about the success of the LEARNS Act so far.
"I know that every child learns a little bit differently, and I believe they all deserve to learn in an environment that best fits their individual needs," the Republican governor said. "Education Freedom Accounts acknowledge the parent's choice, not random geography, should be the primary, determining factor in where a child goes to school."
Sanders said more than 5,000 students used the accounts last year, with more than half of those having some sort of learning disability.
Students in this first year of the voucher program are limited to those who are in kindergarten, attended a state F-graded school in the 2022-23 school year, have a disability that requires an Individualized Education Program, are children of active military personnel or have experienced homelessness or foster care.
For the 2024-25 school year, the program expands to include students attending a D-rated school, as well as children of veterans and first responders.
"We ask a lot of the moms and dads who protect our communities and keep us safe, and it is important that we have the opportunity and ability to recognize and show them our support," Sanders said. "The initial rollout of the EFA program allowed children of current military service members to enroll, and that result has been extraordinary.
"Here at Harvest Time Academy, they've had great success because of that, and they will be able to expand to sixth grade next year."
The LEARNS Act amended various provisions of Arkansas code related to early childhood through grade 12 education in the state. Highlights include increasing the minimum teacher salary from $36,000 to $50,000 and implementing a bonus program providing up to $10,000 for teachers achieving the best results.
The Arkansas Department of Education's data center releases the grades for the state's public schools each year. The grades are meant as one measure of a school's quality.
The latest grades showed among the Fort Smith School District's 26 schools, two schools received an A, two received a B, eight received a C and 14 received a D. The district did not have any F-rated schools.
A district news release said the state's Every Student Succeeds Act School Index Reports show student performance for every school by issuing a school letter grade. Multiple variables factor into the scores, including individual student growth and attendance.
While letter grades may remain constant, the underlying numerical score may have gone up or down from the previous year. For example, an A grade could have a 90-100 numerical score.
The index reports show areas where each school can improve.
Jacob Oliva, secretary for the Arkansas Department of Education, said during Monday's event the Education Freedom Accounts help break Arkansas out of the one-size-fits-all approach to education.
"The reality is most families' and students' needs are going to be met at their local public school, and that's what Arkansas LEARNS is really about," Oliva said. "How do we improve early learning? How do we create options and pathways for students in K-12, and how do we make sure that those transitions to postsecondary opportunities to be successful in life is seamless?"
Harvest Time Academy Principal Twyla Lambe said the school has seen a surge in enrollment and interest since the vouchers began. She said demand has led the school to add sixth grade and additional classrooms for preschool and elementary school starting this fall.
"Before the enactment of the LEARNS Act, countless families would tour Harvest Time Academy yearning for an educational environment that was characterized by smaller class sizes, heightened academic rigor, robust leadership development and spiritual enrichment," Lambe said. "However, their aspirations were often thwarted by the financial barrier that stood in their path. But today, with the EFA, families no longer face such constraints."
Correction: Harvest Time Academy is a Christian school. A previous version stated that it was a Catholic school.