Researchers declare DFA’s statement about HB1371 is an ‘incomplete picture’

The statement fails to take into account potential savings

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (March 4, 2020) – On Tuesday researchers from the University of Arkansas Office for Education Policy and EdChoice, a nonpartisan nonprofit, refuted the Department of Finance and Administration’s legislative impact statement about HB1371, which would create the Arkansas Child Academic Opportunity Scholarship and Grant Act, as an “incomplete picture.”

“The DFA fiscal note provides an incomplete picture of the likely fiscal impact of HB1371 because it only includes the cost of the program without regard for potential savings,” said Marty Lueken, director of EdChoice’s Fiscal Research and Education Center. “When students leave public schools via a scholarship program, it reduces educational costs for public school districts and generates savings for taxpayers.”

As written in HB 1371, the program would require all eligible students to be enrolled in public school prior to entering the program. When students leave a school district for any reason, total expenses for that district decreases by the foundation amount ($7,018 per student), plus any categorical or grant funding associated with the student. Because local revenue is fixed, any reduction in district costs resulting from HB 1371 would accrue to the state as savings.

Lueken and Josh B. McGee, associate director of the Office for Education Policy, recently released a fiscal impact statement that takes into account these potential savings. Their analysis estimates that the net fiscal impact of the scholarship program on the state would be $2.3 million in savings, and the net fiscal effect on districts would be a positive benefit of about $770,000.

DFA’s statement projected $465,000 in administrative costs exceeds the costs actually incurred in other states, even though those states don’t have the extra benefit of nonprofits administering the scholarships and grants.

For example, Arizona appropriated up to 3% of ESA amount for admin costs in FY 2012 (the program’s first year), which amounted to $47,280. The state appropriated $200,000 in FY 2013, and $240,000 in FY 2014 and FY 2015 ($200,000 for state DOE and $40,000 for the State Treasury). Mississippi set aside $180,000 for administrative costs and had $99,000 in unused funds in FY 2018 and $33,000 in FY 2020.

“In these states, a state agency is running the program whereas Arkansas’s program would be run by nonprofit orgs and only overseen by a state agency,” said Jason Bedrick, director of policy at EdChoice. “Other states are running much larger programs at less than half [DFA’s projected] cost, so it should take Arkansas even less than that to merely provide oversight.”

ABOUT THE OFFICE FOR EDUCATION POLICY: The Office for Education Policy (OEP) is a research center within the College of Education and Health Professions at the University of Arkansas. The OEP exists to serve as a resource to state lawmakers, educators, administrators, and other leaders, providing them with current national, state, and regional research in education to support them in thoughtful decision-making concerning K-12 education in the State of Arkansas.

ABOUT EDCHOICE: EdChoice is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to advancing full and unencumbered educational choice as the best pathway to successful lives and a stronger society. EdChoice believes that families, not bureaucrats, are best equipped to make K-12 schooling decisions for their children. The organization works at the state level to educate diverse audiences, train advocates and engage policymakers on the benefits of high-quality school choice programs. EdChoice is the intellectual legacy of Milton and Rose D. Friedman, who founded the organization in 1996 as the Friedman Foundation for Educational Choice.

ABOUT THE REFORM ALLIANCE: The Reform Alliance is a nonprofit organization dedicated to ensuring every K-12 student in Arkansas has equal access to a world-class education. The Reform Alliance is proud to manage the Succeed Scholarship at no cost to the State of Arkansas. Even small expenses like the cost of mailing checks to schools are paid for by a private foundation grant. Free educational resources and more information about The Reform Alliance are available at thereformalliance.org.

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LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (Feb. 25, 2020) – On Wednesday, researchers from the University of Arkansas Office for Education Policy and EdChoice released a fiscal impact statement regarding HB1371, The Arkansas Child Academic Opportunity Scholarship and Grant Act. The study revealed the proposed tax-credit scholarship program would generate a positive estimated net benefit of $773,000 to Arkansas public school districts.

The study projected that any reduction in funding to districts would more than offset the reduction in variable costs for those students, leaving a positive return for public schools in the amount of $900 per student in the program.

“It’s a common myth that programs like this will negatively impact public school finances,” said Emmy Henley, managing director of The Reform Alliance. “The reality is this innovative, parent-driven program helps alleviate budget concerns at public schools while giving families who have been historically marginalized access to options that better serve their children’s needs.”

The study also estimates that state taxpayers would experience net fiscal savings worth $2.3 million, or $2,600 for each scholarship student.

Last week a poll conducted by Cygnal, an award-winning national public opinion and predictive analytics firm, revealed that 65% of Arkansas voters want parents to be able to customize their child’s education or invest in both traditional and other education options. Additionally, 61% of Arkansas voters support tax-credit funded grants for public schools that serve Arkansas’s lowest income populations.

“Overall, Arkansans want parents to be in charge of their children’s education,” said Jacqueline Boggess, director of insights & communications at Cygnal. “Tax credits for donations to scholarships for low- and middle-income students and donations for grants to public schools that serve low- and middle-income students are both popular statewide.”

The full fiscal impact statement is available here. The full poll is available here.

ABOUT THE OFFICE FOR EDUCATION POLICY: The Office for Education Policy (OEP) is a research center within the College of Education and Health Professions at the University of Arkansas. The OEP exists to serve as a resource to state lawmakers, educators, administrators, and other leaders, providing them with current national, state, and regional research in education to support them in thoughtful decision-making concerning K-12 education in the State of Arkansas.

ABOUT EDCHOICE: EdChoice is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to advancing full and unencumbered educational choice as the best pathway to successful lives and a stronger society. EdChoice believes that families, not bureaucrats, are best equipped to make K-12 schooling decisions for their children. The organization works at the state level to educate diverse audiences, train advocates and engage policymakers on the benefits of high-quality school choice programs. EdChoice is the intellectual legacy of Milton and Rose D. Friedman, who founded the organization in 1996 as the Friedman Foundation for Educational Choice.

ABOUT THE REFORM ALLIANCE: The Reform Alliance is a nonprofit organization dedicated to ensuring every K-12 student in Arkansas has equal access to a world-class education. The Reform Alliance is proud to manage the Succeed Scholarship at no cost to the State of Arkansas. Even small expenses like the cost of mailing checks to schools are paid for by a private foundation grant. Free educational resources and more information about The Reform Alliance are available at thereformalliance.org.

ABOUT CYGNAL: Cygnal is an award-winning national public opinion and predictive analytics firm that pioneered multi-mode polling, peer-to-peer text collection, and Political Emotive Analysis. Cygnal was recently named the #1 most accurate polling and research firm in the country for 2018 by The New York Times. Its team members have worked in 47 states and countries on more than 1,500 corporate, public affairs and political campaigns.

The cars have changed, and technology has improved over the years, but MP Outdoor Cinema in Little Rock brings back memories of pink Cadillacs, poodle skirts and “Singing in the Rain.”

It’s also the perfect place to celebrate National School Choice Week during a pandemic. The Reform Alliance is hosting a free showing of the movie “Miss Virginia” at the MP Outdoor Cinema at 6700 Allied Way in Little Rock at 6 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 30.

The drive-in setting with socially distanced cars creates a safe environment for people to watch the movie together. “Miss Virginia” is based on the true story of a single mother who challenges the system in an effort to ensure her son gets a good education.

“It’s the perfect way to conclude National School Choice Week,” said Valerie Pruitt, community engagement advocate at The Reform Alliance. “We’re still practicing safe social distancing protocols, but we get to get out, enjoy a movie and learn more about educational opportunities in Arkansas.”

National School Choice Week kicks off Jan. 25 with a dance challenge to the song “Start Your Day Right Here” by Analog and Steve Celi. The Reform Alliance will share videos of the choreography and invites the public to share videos of themselves performing the dance to compete for social media recognition and a TRA Swag Bag. Anyone can enter by posting the video and tagging @arreformalliance on TikTok or The Reform Alliance on Facebook by Sunday, Jan. 31. The winners will be announced Wednesday, Feb. 3.

In partnership with the Arkansas State Teachers Association, The Reform Alliance will also be engaging students in the celebration with an essay competition during National School Choice Week, and winners will be announced on Facebook.

The festivities continue at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 26, with a Netflix watch party of “Miss Virginia” so that viewers from anywhere in the state  (or beyond) can chat and share thoughts about the film in a virtual environment. In order to participate, individuals must have a Netflix account.

Another virtual event – a town hall discussion – will begin at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 27. Subject matter experts will lead a discussion about the different education options available to students in Arkansas: public schools (including charter and magnet schools), private schools, microschools, homeschools and virtual schools. Attendees can join the discussion via Zoom, and it will be available to watch on The Reform Alliance’s Facebook page as well.

“At its core, National School Choice Week is about letting families know what educational options are available, so we are really looking forward to the town hall discussion,” said Emmy Henley, managing director at The Reform Alliance. “Our panelists can help families identify the possibilities with each option.”

On Friday, Jan. 29,  everyone is invited to wear yellow to celebrate National School Choice Week and share photos on social media with #SchoolChoiceWeek and #SchoolChoiceforAR.

These events and activities in Arkansas are just a few of the available activities going on nationwide.

“For everyone in our country, School Choice Week is a chance to have a conversation about why every student deserves a great education,” Andrew Campanella, president of National School Choice Week, said in a video explaining the event. “There’s something for everyone during School Choice Week, and that’s why there are tens of thousands of activities and events.”

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (Dec. 29, 2020) – The Reform Alliance, a nonprofit focused on improving education in Arkansas, announced its support for the executive order authorizing the use of the federal grant money to boost education efforts during the pandemic.

On Monday, Dec. 28, President Donald Trump signed the executive order giving states the option to use Community Service Block Grant funding to provide emergency learning scholarships for students. The scholarships would cover the costs for low-income students without access to in-person learning through traditional means to use alternative learning options, like attending in-person classes at a private or religious school, joining a learning pod, homeschooling or using private tutoring or education services.

The executive order is a positive step toward securing equal access to learning at a time when low-income students are at risk for falling further behind, according to Emmy Henley, managing director for The Reform Alliance.

“It’s important for students to have access to a learning environment where they can thrive, and virtual learning does not suit everyone, ” Henley said. “The emergency learning scholarships could help Arkansas students find the instruction method that fits them best so that they can continue learning even during the pandemic.”

Click here to read the executive order. 

The Reform Alliance is a nonprofit organization dedicated to ensuring every K-12 student in Arkansas has equal access to a world-class education. The Reform Alliance is proud to manage the Succeed Scholarship at no cost to the State of Arkansas. Even small expenses like the cost of mailing checks to schools are paid for by a private foundation grant. Free educational resources and more information about The Reform Alliance are available at thereformalliance.org.

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While most students enjoyed a movie break during the Christmas party, one student at Lighthouse Homeschooling Cooperative chose to return to her computer to do extra math problems. Lighthouse had recently implemented the Prenda microschool learning model, so this student knew she was in charge of her education … and she wasn’t going to waste a minute.

A child choosing extra classwork over a movie may seem pretty unusual in itself, but what made the moment even more extraordinary was that only a couple weeks before, this same student had been resistant to schoolwork. She had been in a self-contained classroom for behavioral issues for years in a public school. By the time she arrived at Lighthouse, she had all but given up on education, and even her first few weeks at Lighthouse were pretty rocky.

The situation changed when Lighthouse’s learning guides, Amanda and Jeremy Escue, started using the Prenda learning model and educational tools.

“We gave her the reigns, and now she is taking off,” Amanda Escue said. “Now, she is seeking more learning; she wants to do more.”

The Escues lead one of the Prenda microschools being launched in Arkansas through efforts of The Reform Alliance. A microschool is an alternative method of learning where small groups study with a trained learning guide, usually at the guide’s home, a church or other similar environment.

Prenda, the organization that developed the microschool model, emphasizes creating a flexible learning environment where students are empowered to make decisions about their education.

“It’s really amazing to see how a child begins to thrive when you give him or her an educational environment that fits their needs,” said Emmy Henley, managing director of The Reform Alliance. “The model, whether it be public school, private school, microschool or other option, needs to fit the kid, rather than trying to fit the kid to the model.”

The Reform Alliance has provided scholarships through a privately funded grant to establish 10 microschools in the state. The scholarships were awarded to low-income students who qualified for free or reduced lunches.

On Dec. 2, the organization brought together about 30 learning guides, parents and others interested in learning more about microschools at Arkansas Prendacon, an all-day event designed to help them make personal connections with representatives from Prenda.

Some microschools, like Lighthouse, have already launched, and others will start in January. Henley said they have already been receiving feedback from the families that have started using Prenda.

“Families are already seeing improvement,” Henley said. “Each child has an individualized learning path, and we are already seeing kids become more engaged.”

This was the case with the student at Lighthouse, whose name is being withheld for privacy purposes. Lighthouse has been operating as a cooperative homeschooling option for children with autism for about four years. Amanda Escue said they have felt alone in their efforts, so they were really excited when they got connected with Prenda and with other like-minded families at Prendacon.

“It was very encouraging to see so many people across the state that have a burden for educational options for children in Arkansas and to see a unified movement growing here,” she said.

The Escues learned a lot from Prenda’s training, but they are also benefiting from the educational tools, like Dreambox, Lexia and Treasure Hunt.

“Prenda really makes it possible for someone to jump right in,” Amanda Escue said. “We have struggled to come up with solutions on our own over the years, but Prenda has already laid the groundwork. The technology has really helped with classroom logistics.”

After attending Prendacon, the Escues started blending in Prenda’s learning model and technology on Dec. 7, and they have already been seeing heartening results.

“We have been watching lives being changed,” Amanda Escue said.