Arkansas Senator Pushes Bill to Cap School Choice Vouchers Amid Spending Surge

LITTLE ROCK — State Sen. Bryan King, R-Green Forest, introduced legislation during the 2026 fiscal session to curb explosive spending on Arkansas' Children's Education Freedom Account (EFA) program, which provides vouchers for private school tuition and other educational expenses. King's bill seeks to limit vouchers to students not previously enrolled in private schools, cap awards at $5,000 per school year and require recipients to meet academic performance standards to retain eligibility. The proposal comes as the program, championed by Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, faces scrutiny for fiscal overreach after applications exceeded projections this year.[1][3] Originally budgeted at $187 million for the current fiscal year, EFA demand has strained state resources, prompting King's intervention to declare the program's growth "fiscally irresponsible." Supporters like Sen. Bart Hester, R-Cave Springs, and Rep. Breanne Davis, R-Jonesboro, have backed expansions, but King's measure aims to redirect turnback funds and prioritize public school students. The EFA, launched with universal eligibility for the 2025-2026 school year, allows parents to use state funds for private schooling, homeschooling or tutoring, building on Arkansas' LEARNS Act reforms.[1][3][4] Arkansas' school funding formula already directs foundation aid based on average daily membership (ADM), with additional weights for English learners ($375 more per student), high-poverty districts (up to $1,653 extra) and other needs, totaling over $594 million annually from the Educational Adequacy Fund since 2024. Critics argue vouchers divert resources from underfunded public schools, where high-poverty districts receive only $405 more per student than low-poverty ones. King's bill, if advanced, could force a reckoning in the fiscal session, balancing choice against public education adequacy across rural areas like his Newton County district and urban centers like Little Rock.[2][4] The legislature's action revives debates from prior sessions, including failed attempts like SB482 to repeal public school choice transfers. With Sanders urging voucher enforcement and funding boosts, the outcome will impact thousands of families in districts from Fayetteville to Pine Bluff, as Arkansas navigates education freedom versus fiscal restraint.[5][6]