School Choice in

Arkansas

Arkansas offers K–12 students and their families various types of school choice, including two private school choice program—a school voucher and tax-credit scholarship—as well as charter schools, magnet schools, homeschooling and traditional public school choice via open enrollment.

As of February 2023, Arkansas lawmakers are considering SB 294, which would create an ESA program—the Children’s Educational Freedom Account Program—available to all K–12 students in the state by 2025. Learn more about this proposal here.

Fast Facts Policy Toolkit Regulations State Groups

Private School Choice

Arkansas has two private school choice programs: a school voucher program and a tax-credit scholarship program. These programs help families afford to send their kids to participating private schools, but their funding is different. Vouchers are funded through state funding formulas, whereas tax-credit scholarships are funded by private donations to scholarship-granting organizations.

Public School Choice

Arkansas has some magnet schools and allows some students to attend traditional public schools outside their zoned district school.

Charter Schools

Arkansas has many charter schools, which are publicly funded schools that are free from many of the regulations that restrict traditional public schools.

Homeschool

Parents have to meet certain laws in Arkansas when homeschooling their children.