Laura Lacey Burns, a homeschool parent of three in Camden, is wary of “summer brain” setting in this time of year.
That’s why, even though her children — a rising first grader and two rising sixth graders — are on a break from their regular school schedule, Burns keeps them busy with a full plate of reading and creative and athletic activities during the summer. They also must finish any schoolwork they left incomplete during the spring.
“We don’t school year-round, but we never stop schooling,” Burns said.
All three of the children have Educational Freedom Accounts under Arkansas’ school choice program, and Burns uses the funds to cover the costs of many of their activities.
The program gives families like Burns’ more flexibility than many public school families in the transition between the spring and summer months. The Arkansas Department of Education’s rules for using the funds do not change during the summer, so families are free to use leftover money for summer learning or education-related activities outside of the traditional school calendar.
“EFA funds may be used for qualifying summer educational activities when the expense meets program requirements and is connected to the student’s learning, developmental growth, or future readiness,” Education Department spokeswoman Kaelin Clay said in an email. “That may include summer classes, tutoring, educational therapies, approved instructional materials, certain enrichment activities, career-connected learning, assessments, or other qualifying educational services.”
The Educational Freedom Account program uses state taxpayer funds to pay for private school tuition and some homeschool expenses. In the 2025-26 school year, most families with an account received $6,864 per student, slated to rise to $7,208 in the upcoming school year.
Students with accounts do not have to be homeschooled to be able to spend funds during the summer, though private school families often expend most or all of their funds on tuition during the school year.
Being able to draw from the school choice account has been an “incredible blessing,” Burns said. Before the program existed, she said, “Funds were very tight. We didn’t really get to do anything extra.”
Her family’s experience is common among participants of Arkansas’ school choice program, according to Emmy Henley, managing director of The Reform Alliance, though she said the specifics vary.
“Some families use their remaining funds for tutoring to prevent summer learning loss, while others enroll their children in music lessons, academic camps, STEM programs, art instruction, or other educational opportunities,” Henley said in an email. “The common thread we hear from families is that many view learning as something that happens year-round rather than only during the traditional school calendar.”
Summer learning loss refers to a decline in student achievement during the months when school is not in session. Research is mixed on whether summer break negatively affects student learning to a significant degree, according to a 2023 report by the Brookings Institute.
More than 44,000 Arkansas students received an Educational Freedom Account in the 2025-26 school year, and more than 54,400 student applications have been submitted to the state for the upcoming 2026-27 school year. The Arkansas Legislature has approved up to $379 million in state funds for the program in 2026-27.
Families enrolled in the school choice program for the 2025-26 school year who still have funds remaining at the end of the school year can use that money throughout the summer, as long as the expenses satisfy the program’s requirements, according to Henley.
“One of the most common questions we receive is whether a particular activity qualifies under EFA rules,” Henley said. “The answer usually depends on whether the activity has a legitimate educational purpose and meets the program’s requirements.”
Act 920 of 2025 states that families with Educational Freedom Accounts can spend no more than 25% of their funds on extracurricular activities or transportation costs. In June, state lawmakers approved new rules for the school choice program that are intended to clarify which expenses are eligible for reimbursement.
Among other changes, the rules restrict certain athletics-related spending and reduce the amount of money that an Educational Freedom Account participant can roll over from year to year, from $20,000 to $8,500. Many families have criticized the new rules, saying they will increase uncertainty for program participants.
Sharice Beavers of Greers Ferry is among the parents using Educational Freedom Accounts who teach their children year-round.
“We just keep going, because we take breaks during the year that other people do not,” Beavers said.
Her two participating children have been particularly focused on math this summer, Beavers said, working their way through a textbook chapter by chapter.
One of her children, a junior, said “it’d be nice to not have to do school” in the summer, but that “it’s my own fault,” because she takes breaks throughout the year. (Beavers declined to provide her daughter’s name.)
Asked if she enjoyed the breaks, though, she replied, “Oh, for sure.”
The school choice program’s online payment platform is closed to families for the month of July and will resume accepting expense requests on Aug. 1. The pause allows Education Department staff to complete reviews for the 2025-26 school year and prepare for the new school year, the department told participating families in a May 14 update.
Participating families have sharply criticized lengthy wait times for processing payments using the platform. Education officials placed much of the blame for the delays on ClassWallet, the Florida-based vendor managing the platform, and have promised improvements by this fall.
Throughout July, the Education Department will continue to process pending requests from prior months, according to officials.
Burns said the pause is “inconvenient,” but that it was not a major issue for her family. Many homeschool families plan well in advance when ordering curricula and other necessary items, she said.
“It’s something we knew ahead of time,” Burns said. “It kind of is what it is. I’m not stressing about it.”
With support from the ADG Community Journalism Project, LEARNS reporter Josh Snyder covers the impact of the law on the K-12 education system across the state, and its effect on teachers, students, parents and communities. The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette maintains full editorial control over this article and all other coverage. View all LEARNS Act coverage at arkansasonline.com/learns
Josh Snyder
Josh Snyder reports on how the state LEARNS Act has changed public education, including on the local level. His position is funded by the ADG Community Journalism Project. A Phoenix native and graduate of the Clinton School of Public Service, Josh has worked for the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette since 2018.
