Arkansas families know their children better than anyone. And they know that what works for one kid won’t always work for another.
Arkansas Senate President Pro Tempore Bart Hester knows that, too.
At a recent meeting in Little Rock, Hester made his position on Educational Freedom Accounts clear: he won’t agree to capping the program. “No matter what the cost is to EFAs, every child’s education is equally important,” he said, according to the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.
It’s a straightforward principle—and an important one. EFAs exist because families asked for them. When enrollment grows, that’s not a budget problem; it’s families finding something that works. Hester put it plainly: more participation simply means more parents are choosing what’s best for their children. That’s the program doing exactly what it was designed to do.
Capping access to EFAs would mean deciding that some kids’ education matters more than others. Arkansas families deserve better than that.
Arkansas has built something real with the LEARNS Act. Education Freedom Accounts give families a meaningful path to an education that fits their child—not just the one that’s closest to their ZIP code. Protecting and expanding that access is how Arkansas continues to move forward for every kid.
We’re grateful for leaders like Sen. Hester who are willing to say that out loud.
If you agree that every Arkansas child deserves access to an education that works for them, take a moment to let him know.
Thank Sen. Bart Hester for standing up for Arkansas families.
