Education (School Choice)

This bill authorizes the introduction of legislation to modify the Arkansas Children's Educational Freedom Account Program, which provides state funds to students enrolled in private schools or homeschooled. The proposed changes would adjust the annual funding amount for participating students, set a minimum performance threshold for receiving disbursements, and establish stricter eligibility rules based on academic achievement. Specifically, students who fail to meet a minimum test score would lose their account eligibility, and those currently enrolled in or previously attending private schools would be barred from receiving new accounts. Additionally, the bill outlines procedures for determining eligibility and requires that assessments be administered at educational service cooperatives, with exemptions available for students with significant cognitive disabilities.