New law raises standards for literacy in Arkansas

This year back to school activities in Arkansas have historic importance, thanks to the far-reaching changes in Act 237 of 2023.

Act 237 is the LEARNS Act, proposed by the governor and approved by the legislature earlier this year. LEARNS is an acronym that stands for Literacy, Empowerment, Accountability, Readiness, Networking and School Safety. 

The act provides parents with more school choice options than they have ever had. Tuition at private and parochial schools will be more affordable than at any time in Arkansas history, thanks to the Educational Freedom Accounts created by Act 237. Parents of qualified students can use the Educational Freedom Accounts to pay tuition at qualifying schools, which include most of the accredited private and parochial schools in Arkansas.

This year, eligible students are in these categories: children entering kindergarten, students coming from a school that got an “F” on the most recent school report cards or districts in Level 5, meaning they are in distress and receive intensive support from the state. Also eligible are students coming from the Succeed Scholarship Program, homeless children and children currently or formerly in foster care, students with disabilities and children of active-duty military personnel.

In Arkansas, school funding is based on student population. Act 237 awards eligible families up to 90 percent of that amount. This year it will be approximately $6,600 per eligible student. Educational Freedom Accounts are being phased in over three years. This year it is available to 1.5 percent of all Arkansas students which is about 7,000 scholarships. In the 2024-2025 school year, Educational Freedom Accounts will be available to 3 percent of students in Arkansas.

In the 2025-2026 school year, Educational Freedom Accounts will be universal. However, the state Board of Education may have to set a limit based on the sufficiency of public funds and number of applications received.

Act 237 has other historic provisions, such as a repeal of caps on the number of charter schools in Arkansas. It directs high schools to offer dual course tracks. One track prepares students for college and the other teaches job skills for students who want to enter the job market immediately after they graduate from high school. The act raises minimum teacher salaries from $36,000 to $50,000 and gives all teachers a minimum of a $2,000 raise. This places Arkansas in the top 5 in the country for starting teacher pay. When adjusted for cost of living, it places Arkansas as number one in the country.

Act 237 also repeals the Teacher Fair Dismissal Act and allows teachers up to 12 weeks of paid maternity leave if a school district chooses to opt in.

The new law raises standards for literacy. Currently, only approximately 35 percent of third graders are reading at or above grade level. The state will hire 120 literacy coaches and will set up a grant program to provide $500 for families with a student in kindergarten through third grade, who is reading below grade level, so they can hire a tutor.

Arkansas has 259 public school districts and 22 open enrollment charter districts. There are 477,000 students in the state.