Friday, April 23, 2021
House passes tax credit scholarship program for K-12
On Wednesday, the House of Representatives passed a bill for Arkansas to become the 20th state to create a K-12 tax credit scholarship program.

“We are thrilled Arkansas lawmakers are putting students first,” said Emmy Henley, TRA’s managing director. “This program provides a much-needed solution for Arkansas’s most vulnerable families who currently have been unable to access options for their children who may not be able to excel in a public-school setting.”

EDUCATION HEADLINES
Image Source: The Heritage Foundation
Military families deserve flexible education options
Service men and women around the country sacrifice so much for our country, they should not have to sacrifice their children’s education because their child does not excel in public school.

Poll: Support for school choice increases after COVID shutdowns
Parents and families around the country are moving the conversation on education towards more educational options in massive numbers.

Image Source: The Center Square
Image: Northwest Arkansas Democrat Gazette
Summer school set for North Little Rock students after covid-19 year
The North Little Rock School District will offer an in-person summer school program in hopes of mitigating some of the learning loss created by the covid-19 pandemic.

The School Board has approved a five-week summer school program for the entire district.

Union Station: Arkansas enacts bill prohibiting collective bargaining by state public-sector employees
A bill that would prohibit public sector unionization has been enacted as law. The bill prevents public employees from striking.

Image Source: Ballotpedia News
Arkansas Succeed Scholarship success stories
"We are so grateful to have the Succeed Scholarship for our daughter Cassidy. She is able to attend our local Catholic high school with all her friends, following in the footsteps of her mother and sister. Cassidy loves being a Belle and was even a manager for the varsity basketball team this season. Without the scholarship, I am not sure we would have been able to give this opportunity to Cass so thank you!are excellent. ... It really does make a difference."- Allan, Succeed Scholarship parent

The legislature established this overwhelming popular program in 2015 without a single dissenting vote.
  • 38 schools across Arkansas participate
  • 665 scholarships have been awarded
  • Scholarship cap for 20-21 is $7,018 per student
  • 97% parent satisfaction rate from survey
We are proud to administer the program for the state with 100% of all state funding going directly to scholarships. All administrative costs of managing the scholarship for the state is paid for through a private philanthropic grant. 

Education bills of interest to our network
  • SB89 - Changes the IEP requirements for the Succeed Scholarship and establishes a lottery program for selection if applications exceed available scholarships.
  • Status: Signed by the governor; now ACT 741
  • HB1446 - Opens the Succeed Scholarship to all children of active duty military members.
  • Status: Signed by the governor; now Act 689
  • SB25 - Schools do not have to count a student for the 3% cap of public school choice if a student has gone to the district for preschool.
  • Status: Amended and referred back to Senate Education Committee
  • HB1237 - Schools would have an option to provide virtual options permanently. The school year would be amended to not start before the Monday before Labor Day, and schools would have the option to implement an alternate school calendar. 
  • Status: Signed by the governor; now Act 688
  • HB1464: Provides a mechanism for parents to bring their concerns over instructional material and activities in the classroom to the district/school administration.
  • Status: Signed by the governor; now Act 684
  • HB1610: Requires reporting the use of restraints as a manner of discipline and to require training in disciplinary methods. 
  • Status: Passed out of the house. Sent to Senate Education Committee
  • HB1840: Gives income tax credits for donations to a scholarship fund for medical school students
  • Status: Failed in House Revenue & Tax Committee
  • SB680: Creates a tax credit scholarship program for low-income Arkansas students to attend an approved private school of their choosing
  • Status: Passed and sent to governor
  • HB1891: Creates a network of certified academic language therapists to encourage and incentivise the training of more dyslexia therapists and interventionists. 
  • Status: Passed out of House Ed; referred to Senate Education Committee
We are a nonprofit organization dedicated to ensuring every K-12 student in Arkansas has equal access to a world class education. Our mission is to create a network of parent and community leaders so every policy decision and every conversation about education starts and ends with how it impacts our kids.