KUAR | By Josie Lenora
The Arkansas State Board of Education approved new accountability guidelines for private schools getting tax money on Thursday.
The 2023 LEARNS Act signed into law by Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders allowed public money to be used for private schools. The money comes from a pool of funds called the “education freedom account.”
Sanders and Education Secretary Jacob Oliva have promised accountability measures for these schools since the law was passed. Stacy Smith, Deputy Commissioner of the Education Department's Division of Elementary and Secondary Education, presented the new rules at a meeting on Thursday. Students at private schools getting tax dollars will be required to take standardized testing and meet accreditation standards, but there will be a lot of flexibility for them in both categories.
State Board of Education approves new accountability system, guidelines
Antoinette Grajeda/Arkansas Advocate
Arkansas Department of Education Deputy Commissioner Stacy Smith (right) at a previous meeting of the board. On Thursday she presented testing and accreditation rules for private schools receiving public money.