February 2022
Cygnal survey shows Arkansas voters continue to support school choice
In a recent survey conducted by Cygnal, 71% of Arkansas voters indicated they support school choice. This included a majority of voters from every party (80% of voters who identified themselves as Republicans supported school choice, 68% of Independents and 61% of Democrats).
Key: Strongly Supports Somewhat Supports
Strongly Opposes Somewhat Opposes
Which legislators are making the grade in education voting?
Despite strong public support for school choice programs, legislation to create these programs often struggles to get enough votes.

In 2021, lawmakers introduced several bills focused on improving educational opportunities for students and increasing compensation for teachers. We graded legislators on how they voted on education-related legislation.
Students are thriving due to the Succeed Scholarship
Since the Succeed Scholarship program was first enacted in 2015 without any dissenting votes, more than 900 students have officially been approved for the program. Currently, 628 students are using scholarships to attend a private school of their choice.

We strongly believe that parents should be the key decision makers for education, and the
Succeed Scholarship program is considered a massive success by parents of students who have used it. Each year, we conduct a parent survey about the Succeed Scholarship, and the feedback is consistently overwhelmingly positive. In the most recent annual parent survey (April 2021) 98.5% of SSP parents say they have seen improvements in their child’s grades and 98.4% improvements in social development. An overwhelming 99% believe the program should continue and is useful to the students it serves. Click here to see more results!
Invest in AR Kids through K-12 scholarship program
During the regular session of the 93rd Arkansas General Assembly, legislators passed legislation that created the Philanthropic Investment in Arkansas Kids program. This tax credit scholarship program gives K-12 students access to educational opportunities that were previously out of reach due to family income.

The first step to education freedom - collecting donations to fund the scholarships - is now underway, and The Reform Alliance is proud to be a scholarship granting organization.

We are grateful for the legislators who made this possible! We also wanted to invite you to help support the program by making a donation. Individual or businesses that pay income taxes in Arkansas can claim a state tax credit for up to 100% of their annual income tax liability by donating to fund these scholarships. The tax credits are capped at $2 million, so taxpayers who are interested need to act quickly! Complete this form and email it to us at info@thereformalliance.org. Click here for more information!
Education Headlines
Arkansas teachers earn Presidential Awards
Congratulations to Lindsey Hall and Lisa Taylor, both from Springdale schools, who received Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching!
School receives grants for adding programs
The Star City School District has received more than $53,000 in state grants to institute new programs in Business Finance and Cybersecurity.

The newspaper reported that the grants will cover 85% of the costs associated with a new program.
Educational Choice Glossary
When it comes to support for families seeking financial aid for K-12 education, there are a variety of types with overlapping characteristics. EdChoice does an incredible job of defining each of the forms of financial support for K-12 education. 
Education Savings Accounts (ESAs) allow parents to withdraw their children from public district or charter schools and receive a deposit of public funds into government-authorized savings accounts with restricted, but multiple, uses. Those funds—often distributed to families via debit card— can cover private school tuition and fees, online learning programs, private tutoring, community college costs, higher education expenses and other approved customized learning services and materials.
Faces of Freedom
These are the voices of Arkansas families who have benefited from Arkansas’s Succeed Scholarship Program:

“Fischer is the happiest, sweetest, most laid back child ever. We discovered at an early age, he was going to struggle to hit milestones. He was delayed but not severely. He had no diagnosis besides developmental delay. He attended a developmental preschool and received a ton of therapy. He has gained so much ground but is still not where his peers are. His pre-k teachers told me he was ready for mainstream kindergarten but would definitely benefit from a smaller class size. Unfortunately, that is not an option in our local public schools. The Succeed Scholarship was the answer to our prayers! He is now almost a semester into kindergarten at Christ the King. He is in a class of 14 children with a phenomenal teacher who has been able to work with him and his continued needs. He still has a long way to go, but I am confident he is in the right place to reach his full potential.” – Susan parent

We are proud to administer the program for the state with 100% of all state funding going directly to scholarships. All administrative costs of managing the scholarship for the state is paid for through a private philanthropic grant. 
We are a nonprofit organization dedicated to ensuring every K-12 student in Arkansas has equal access to a world class education. Our mission is to create a network of parent and community leaders so every policy decision and every conversation about education starts and ends with how it impacts our kids.