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1,000 signatures reached
To: Arkansas Legislature
No Public Funds For Private Education
We, the undersigned taxpayers of Arkansas, do not want our taxes used to fund private education.
We respectfully request that the Arkansas Legislature deny the requested budget increase for Educational Freedom Accounts. The vast majority of these taxpayer funds are being used by families who can already afford to pay for private education.
In order to be compliant with the Arkansas Constitution, we believe that the Legislature should defund the educational freedom account program effective July 1, 2026 and focus on funding and improving public schools.
We are now in Year 3 of this program. The following is a breakdown of costs for each year.
- Year 1: $37.3 million
- Year 2: $93.8 million
- Year 3: $160.5 million ($128.5 million original budget + additional $32 million allotted prior to SY2026).
Total: $291.6 million
Year 4 budget amount proposed: $309 million
Why is this important?
95% of children in Arkansas attend public schools. The siphoning of funds towards private and home schools for a small percentage of students will cause irreparable harm to public schools. Public taxpayer money belongs in public schools.
The primary stated goal was to help low income students, regardless of zip code, to attend private schools. This has not happened.
Public schools provide a wide array of activities and services for all students. When funding is reduced, public schools are forced to cut programs and staff. Small rural schools are especially vulnerable. Art, music, foreign languages, and other important elective classes are usually the first to be cut. These are some of the very programs that students need to build self esteem and to stimulate interest and brain growth.
The primary stated goal was to help low income students, regardless of zip code, to attend private schools. This has not happened.
Public schools provide a wide array of activities and services for all students. When funding is reduced, public schools are forced to cut programs and staff. Small rural schools are especially vulnerable. Art, music, foreign languages, and other important elective classes are usually the first to be cut. These are some of the very programs that students need to build self esteem and to stimulate interest and brain growth.