LEARNS - Home

LEARNS - Home
Arkansas
ITERACY
MPOWERMENT
CCOUNTABILITY
EADINESS
ETWORKING
CHOOL SAFETY
Sarah Huckabee Sanders
Governor of Arkansas
Jacob Oliva
Secretary, Arkansas Department of Education
Commissioner, ADE Division of Elementary and Secondary
Education
Education Freedom Account System 2026-2027
2026-2027 EFA Applications
EFA Applications for the 2026-2027 academic year open at 8am CST, March 9, 2026
The 2026 – 2027 Student EFA Application Portal is now open.
New applicants can log into
www.arkansasefa.com
, create an account, and begin a new application.
The Education Freedom Account program is a school choice initiative that empowers parents by providing funding for students in private or home school.
Information for Families
Student Applications
Application Portal
Information for Private and Micro Schools
School Applications
Private and Micro School Application
Information for Service Providers
Provider Applications
Vendor and Service Provider Application
Education Freedom Account System 2026-2027 Statistics
Applications Count
Private Schools Count
*Note: SY 2026- 2027 Year 4 Stats are current as of Today - 1 (day)
Applications Count
Private Schools Count
AR App: Released
A streamlined, comprehensive platform designed in close collaboration with ADE Office of Federal Programs to serve as a one-stop strategic plan for LEAs across the state.
Visit Portal
New
ADE School Performance Report Card
Launched on My School Info
The Arkansas Department of Education (ADE) is pleased to announce the release of redesigned school and district report cards on the My School Info website. These new report cards reflect Arkansas’ updated accountability system and continue the state’s commitment to transparency, family engagement, and data-driven school improvement.
Visit My School Info
Visit Dashboard
Visit Digital Locker
View Memo
ADE Launches New Childcare Website
The Arkansas Department of Education is pleased to launch a new, user-friendly childcare website that enables families to find licensed childcare providers in their areas.
The Childcare Arkansas website, located at
childcareAR.com
, gives families the opportunity to search for a childcare provider by city, Zip Code, and county. Families also can search for a provider based on the star level, which is a quality rating system used for Better Beginnings programs. The site also allows users to search for specific criteria, such as a facility’s name, hours of operation, and ages of children accepted at the facility.
“As a mom, I know how important it is to have access to safe and reliable childcare,” Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders said. “Through the LEARNS Act, which created the Local Leads program, and tools like this website, we are empowering Arkansas families to make informed decisions and helping set our children on the path to success from early childhood, on.”
“The LEARNS Act codified a commitment to improve access to quality childcare providers and streamlined education from cradle to career,” Secretary of Education Jacob Oliva said. “This new website helps parents and families quickly search for childcare options in their communities.”
In addition to robust search criteria, the website displays selected facilities on a map and includes links to early childhood local lead organizations, the Better Beginnings Program, and the School Readiness Assistant portal.
For more information about the department’s early learning program, visit
Visit Childcare AR Website
Arkansas Merit Teacher Incentive Fund
Elevating the Profession. Rewarding Excellence.
The Arkansas Merit Teacher Incentive Fund, established by the LEARNS Act (
Act 237 of the 2023
), is a state-funded initiative that rewards exceptional Arkansas
educators who demonstrate outstanding performance and a strong commitment to student learning. Through this program, eligible teachers can earn up to
$10,000 annually.
The Merit Teacher Incentive Fund program aims to:
Elevate the teaching profession,
Recognize high-performing educators,
Reward service in critical shortage areas, and
Incentivize excellent educators to mentor future teachers.
Merit Pay FactSheet
Merit Pay Distribution Map for the SY 2024-2025
For the 2024-2025 school year, more than 4,200 educators are being rewarded for their outstanding performance and their commitment to elevating Arkansas schools. They will each receive up to $10,000 in merit pay through the LEARNS Merit Teacher Incentive Fund Program.
Merit Pay Distribution Map
Merit Pay Dashboards
Recipients are widely distributed across the state, with high concentrations in critical shortage areas. Use the interactive map below to explore the reward impact in each district.
Explaining the Arkansas Merit Teacher Incentive Fund Program:
Merit Pay Eligibility & Amounts
Merit Pay FAQs
Arkansas A.C.C.E.S.S. Portal launched!
Visit portal
Arkansas DESE 2025 School Safety Grant
The Arkansas Division of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) is pleased to announce the 2025 School Safety Grant.
School safety grant funds are intended to support the implementation of recommendations from the School Safety Commission, as outlined in Governor Sanders' Arkansas LEARNS Act, and to ensure a safe environment for students and staff. A prioritized list of eligible expenses is included in the attached document (School Safety Grant Priorities).
The Arkansas Division of Elementary and Secondary Education has established Rules Governing School Safety, effective January 1, 2024. These rules, reviewed by the Arkansas Legislative Council, will govern the distribution of school safety grant funds.
Rules
Transportation Modernization Grant Program
The Initiative
The Arkansas LEARNS Act, enacted in 2023, introduced the Transportation Modernization Grant Program to enhance student access to diverse educational opportunities. This initiative provides grants to public schools, childcare providers, cities, towns, and other entities, enabling them to develop innovative transportation solutions that facilitate student mobility across different educational settings.
The Program
The program aims to support the state's school choice efforts by ensuring that transportation barriers do not impede students from attending schools that best meet their needs. By distributing grants based on specific criteria, the program seeks to make all educational options more accessible, regardless of a student's geographic location.
The Interim
Full implementation of the Transportation Modernization Grant Program is scheduled to begin in Fiscal Year 2025. In the interim, the Division of Academic Facilities and Transportation is tasked with initiating the program and fulfilling reporting requirements as outlined in Act 237 of 2023.
Overall, this grant program is a key component of the LEARNS Act's broader strategy to transform education in Arkansas by removing logistical barriers and promoting equitable access to quality education for all students.
Apply
School Readiness Assistance | SRA Portal "Go-Live"
The Arkansas Department of Education, Office of Early Childhood (OEC) in partnership with the ADE Office
of Information Technology is pleased to announce the release of School Readiness Assistance, SRA Portal
replacing the age-old (17-year-old system to be precise) KidCare Voucher System (also known Child Care
Eligibility System).
The SRA Portal is part of Child Care Modernization Project and L.E.A.R.N.S. initiative in building a
unified and comprehensive Early Childhood Care and Education System. The Early Childhood School Readiness
Program is administered by the OEC, to include Arkansas Better Chance (ABC) and Child Care Development
Fund (CCDF). The purpose of the program/system is to increase the availability, affordability, and quality
of childcare services for families in the state of Arkansas.
Visit Portal
2024-2025 Back to School: L.E.A.R.N.S. Transformational Changes
Teacher Salary & Ranking
Starting Teacher Salary
Teacher Salary National Ranking
*Every AR teacher got at least a $2,000 raise
Literacy Coaches
Education Freedom Account
Teacher Merit Bonus
Summer EBT Meals "Free Lunch"
*In Collaboration with AR Dept. of Human Services
Phone-Free Schools Initiative
Career-Ready Pathway Program
*To earn a certificate or license in at least one of 18 high-wage & high-growth career-areas.
Community Service
Arkansas L.E.A.R.N.S. was the biggest change to our school system in generations–and it’s just getting started.
2023-2024 Arkansas Merit Teacher Incentive Fund
Merit Incentive Map
Explaining the Arkansas Merit Teacher Incentive Fund Program
New Program Passed Through AR LEARNS
New Program Passed Through AR LEARNS Gives $10 Million Dollars in Bonuses to Arkansas Educators.
Merit Teacher Incentive Fund Program
L.E.A.R.N.S. delivers another promise with the Merit Teacher Incentive Fund | 2023-2024.
More details
Digital Locker
The ADE Digital Locker is a secure online or digital storage space where ADE or school districts can store and manage various types of
digital assets and documents. These assets will include documents, files, images, videos (as needed), and more. Digital lockers are typically
accessible through the internet, and they provide a convenient way to store, organize, and access digital content from anywhere with an
internet connection.
Visit website
Office of Early Childhood
Arkansas Department of Education (ADE) continues to collaborate with the Arkansas Department of Human Services (DHS) regarding the transition of the Office of Early Childhood (formerly known as Division of Child Care & Early Childhood Education) Program to ADE. Beginning July 1, approximately 200 Early Childhood employees will transition from DHS to ADE. This allows ADE the opportunity to streamline and align education programs and services that support the birth to career continuum.
Visit OEC Dashboards
Visit OEC Quicklinks
Visit website
Visit OEC Apps
Pathway to Licensure
Licensure Pathways for Individuals with a Bachelor’s Degree or Higher (Alternative Pathways to Licensure). These pathways often allow you to work as teacher of record in a school district while meeting licensure requirements.
Visit website
Words from our leaders
"Education is the foundation for success, and, with Secretary of
Education and Commissioner of Elementary and Secondary
Education, Jacob Oliva, we are ready to transform Arkansas
education with bold reforms that will empower every kid to
succeed. Jacob’s proven success increasing
student achievement and his experience serving in many
educational roles will make him an asset to my administration.
Through my Arkansas L.E.A.R.N.S. plan, we will expand access to
quality education for every kid growing up in our state, empower
parents, not government bureaucrats, and prepare students for
the workforce, not government dependency, so everyone has a shot
at a better life right here in Arkansas.”
Sarah Huckabee Sanders
Governor of Arkansas
“Governor Sanders has the right vision to unleash Arkansas
education, and I’m excited to get to work on day one to enact
it. Education is the key to the future, creating
opportunity for all, which is why I’ve spent my career
implementing successful early learning programs, empowering
parents with choices, and investing in career readiness. I am
ready to continue that work here in Arkansas and look forward to
working with Governor Sanders to build a bright future for our
students.”
Jacob Oliva
Secretary, Arkansas Department of Education
Commissioner, ADE Division of Elementary and Secondary Education
The Executive Order
Executive Order to prioritize L.E.A.R.N.S. (Literacy, Empowerment, Accountability, Readiness, Networking, and School Safety)
View Full Executive Order
SB294 / ACT 237
TO CREATE THE LEARNS ACT; TO AMEND VARIOUS PROVISIONS OF THE ARKANSAS CODE AS THEY RELATE TO EARLY CHILDHOOD THROUGH GRADE TWELVE EDUCATION IN THE STATE OF ARKANSAS; AND TO DECLARE AN EMERGENCY
View More Details
ADE Transparency Dashboards
Enrollment Range
School Letter
ESSER
Enrollment Range Dashboard: School Year 2022-2023
Statewide Information System, SIS Cycle 2 – October 15, 2022
School Letter Grade Distribution: School Year 2022 - 2023
ESSER Transparency Dashboard
Updated as of January 17, 2023
Student Statistics
16978
Pre-K Students
475207
K-12 Students
Broadband Access for Teaching, Learning and School Operations
1 Mbps per student
Public Schools
1058
K-12 Schools
237
School Districts
23
Open-Enrollment Charter Systems
15
Education Service Cooperatives
Staff Members
32834
Certified Teachers
12114
Certified Staff
29345
Classified Staff
LEARNS Overview
Literacy
The state will improve access to quality pre-K and make reading coaches available for at-risk children.
Empowerment
Empower parents with more choices, so no child is ever trapped in a failing school and lifetime in poverty, and curriculum transparency through innovation and online resources.
Accountability
Reward good teachers with smart incentives, like higher pay.
Create a strong pipeline by allowing soon-to-be teachers to spend their entire last year in the classroom, offer alternative certification improvements, and better leadership trainings.
Readiness
Create flexibility for students to pursue internships and apprenticeships while in school and align career and technical programs with jobs that are in high demand.
Establish a workforce cabinet to execute a clear vision with better coordination.
Launch a statewide campaign to support the work of technical and trade schools and opportunities that exist for the future workforce.
Networking
Expand high-speed internet to make educational and career opportunities accessible.
School Safety
Prioritize school safety by focusing on physical security, additional resource officers, mental health, and training to implement best practices.
Myth
"Educational Freedom Accounts will hurt public education & close rural schools."
Fact
Actually, the opposite is true. Research shows that Educational Freedom Accounts lead to better outcomes in traditional public schools. That's because they empower parents
of all income to customize their child's education; if the local school district is the best option, it won't lose any kids.
Data from other
states show that the large majority of families, when given the choice, continue to send their kids to traditional public schools and charter schools - but families deserve to
have that choice.
Myth
"School choice programs give money to unaccountable private schools."
Fact
Here in Arkansas, it's not school choice; it's parental empowerment. Ultimately, parents make the best decisions for their child and know when a school is right or wrong. Often
that means sending kids to their local school district, but a child's ZIP code shouldn't be the only thing determining the type of education they receive. And
any private school or student that opts into this program will be held accountable and required to participate in year-end assessments
, just like
students in traditional public schools.
Myth
"Critical Race Theory isn't being taught anywhere in Arkansas."
Fact
President Biden's Department of Education is using nationwide guidelines and grant programs to force school districts to adopt key tenants of Critical Race Theory.
That includes work from the "Abolitionist Teaching Network" and parts of the newly proposed "American History and Civics Education" priorities. The Governor's
Executive Order directed the Secretary to comb through those DOE materials to ensure Washington bureaucrats can't bully Arkansas schools into teaching racist indoctrination.
As Governor Sanders and Secretary Oliva have said,
Arkansas will teach students how to think, not what to think.
Myth
"This gets rid of the teacher pay scale & discourages teachers from pursuing further education."
Fact
This bill simply
puts salary schedule decisions back in the hands of districts
and won't reduce any
teacher's pay one bit. The current statewide, one-size-fits-all approach doesn't let administrators tailor their salary schedules to do what's best for students.
Myth
"This will cost taxpayers far too much."
Fact
This bill uses a
mixture of existing state funds and federal grants to fund the price tag.
In fact, Arkansas is still on track
to enact another tax cut. And of course, quality education systems pay for themselves many times over in the long run. Every kid deserves the opportunity for a quality
education that sets them up for a lifetime of success.
Myth
"This bill forces every kid to go to government-run pre-K."
Fact
This bill does not mandate pre-K or government-run childcare.
We simply want those programs to exist for the families who want
and need them.
Myth
"Holding kids back won't solve the problem and hurts low-income and minority children."
Fact
When only 35% of Arkansas third graders can read at grade level,
we are doing struggling kids a disservice by allowing them
to go to 4th grade without the tools to be successful.
This bill gives them the resources to succeed, including reading coaches, tutoring grants,
improved pre-k, better learning measurements, and parental notification systems.
Myth
"Community service requirements hurt low-income kids who work to help their families."
Fact
Education isn't just about what you learn in the classroom; it's also about preparing the next generation to contribute positively
to their community.
In certain circumstances, this plan also allows waivers in cases of family illness, homelessness, or when a child contributes to their
family's income.
Myth
"Your School Safety Plan contributes to the school-to-prison pipeline."
Fact
Parents know that putting law enforcement in schools makes kids safer
, no matter what the Defund the Police crowd claims.
This School Safety Plan pulls directly from the Arkansas School Safety Commission's expertly crafted recommendations and puts student safety over partisan politics.
Myth
"This bill mimics Florida's Don't Say Gay Bill and discriminates against sexual minorities."
Fact
Most Americans agree that young children shouldn't be exposed to obscene sexual content in the classroom.
Clearly, you
haven't read Florida's bill, and you have not read this one. This bill isn't radical or discriminatory - it's about protecting kids.
Myth
"This plan unfairly gives new teachers a bigger pay bump than veteran teachers."
Fact
This plan
gives districts enough money to raise every teacher's pay.
It's up to administrators to take
steps to retain their employees.
Myth
"Paid maternity leave will cost the taxpayers too much."
Fact
Districts can either opt into this program - and cover half of the cost - or opt out.
When
teachers have to quit their job just to have a family, it hurts both school performance and the taxpayer.
Myth
"Without protection, teachers will be fired unjustly."
Fact
Nothing in this plan denies teachers access to due process if they have been terminated.
This simply allows
districts to terminate teachers who do not perform up to reasonable standards.
Welcome
Education Freedom Account System 2026-2027
Education Freedom Account System 2026-2027 Statistics
AR App: Released
ADE School Performance Report Card Launched on My School Info
ADE Launches New Childcare Website
2024-2025 Arkansas Merit Teacher Incentive Fund
Arkansas A.C.C.E.S.S. Portal Launched
Arkansas DESE 2025 School Safety Grant
Transportation Modernization Grant Program
School Readiness Assistance | SRA Portal "Go-Live"
2024-2025 Back to School: L.E.A.R.N.S. Transformational Changes
2023-2024 Arkansas Merit Teacher Incentive Fund
Digital Locker
Office of Early Childhood
Pathway to Licensure
Words from our leaders
The Executive Order and Act
ADE Transparency Dashboards
Statistics
LEARNS Overview
Myth vs Facts