LITTLE ROCK – The Arkansas Legislative Council voted to fund the Educational Freedom Accounts (EFA) through the rest of the 2025-2026 school year. The accounts can be used to offset the expenses of home school materials or go toward tuition at an accredited private or parochial school in Arkansas. Currently, over 44,000 Arkansas students are participating in the program this school year.
Educational Freedom Accounts are part of the LEARNS Act that was passed during the 2023 Legislative Session. Unlike other states, the program was implemented in stages. In 2023, the first year of the EFA program, about 1.5 percent of Arkansas students were allowed to participate. During the 2024-2025 school year, the percentage of students increased to 3 percent.
This school year is the first time that all Arkansas children in grades K-12 have been allowed to participate in the EFA program. Each account is funded up to $6,864 for the 2025-2026 school year.
Many more students applied for the EFA program this school year, but their parents either did not complete all the paperwork, or they made other choices for their child(ren) such as attending their local public school.
Arkansas Teacher Maternity Leave
As of 2023, school districts have been able to choose to participate in a cost sharing model that would allow teachers to have paid maternity leave. Each school district and the state would pay 50/50 into the program, giving teachers up the 12 weeks of paid maternity leave. The leave does not require teachers to exhaust their accumulated sick days first.
Act 904 of 2025, with bipartisan support, updated the law to require the state to cover 100% of the cost, making it a fully funded, paid benefit for teachers rather than a cost-shared one. Public school and charter schoolteachers are allowed to participate in the program. The National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ) released a case study highlighting the Arkansas’ teacher maternity leave program. The study confirmed that bipartisan legislation helps Arkansas strengthen support for schoolteachers. The program gives teachers the time they need to recover and bond with their newborn or adopted child(ren) before they must return to the classroom.
Online Services
With the tax deadline only a few months away, Arkansas residents can check for their state refund by accessing the Department of Finance and Administration (DFA) website at: https://www.dfa.arkansas.gov. You will need your Social Security Number and expected refund amount to access your tax refund information.
Also, on the DFA website, there is a section of online services that the department offers. For example, you can order a replacement driver’s license or change your address on your license online. DFA also offers the opportunity to book an appointment at your local DMV online. The department states booking an appointment online reduces wait time at the DMV.
