“The most callused aspect of the current education monopoly in Arkansas is that it willingly and deliberately forces children–except those whose parents have wealth–to attend bad schools. And it does so with financial resources taken from parents already struggling financially and at the expense of their ability to choose a better school for their sons and daughters.”  Policy Foundation report, September 1998

(August 2016) Fifteen Arkansas private schools have received approval from the state Department of Education (ADE)1to participate in the Succeed Scholarship Program, Arkansas’ first non-public school choice program.  According to the Little Rock-based Reform Alliance, the program “is open to any Private School Applicants that are accredited.”2 

The following Arkansas private schools have been approved for the program:

         Arkansas Christian Academy (Bryant)

         Christ The King (Fort Smith)

         Christ Luther School (Little Rock)

         Fayetteville Christian School (Fayetteville)

         Immaculate Conception School (Fort Smith)

         Immaculate Conception School (North Little Rock)

         Prism Education Center (Fayetteville)

         Shiloh Christian School (Springdale)

         St. Boniface School (Fort Smith)

         St. Edward’s Catholic School (Little Rock)

         St. John’s Catholic School (Hot Springs)

         St. Joseph’s Catholic School (Fayetteville)

         Trinity Catholic Junior High School (Fort Smith)

         Trinity Christian School (Texarkana)

         Union Christian Academy (Fort Smith)

Arkansas became the 25th state to enact a non-public school choice program when policymakers created the Succeed Scholarship Program in 2015. 

–Greg Kaza

1 Information about the program can be found on ADE’s website at:

https://arksped.k12.ar.us/PolicyAndRegulations/SucceedScholarship.html

2 http://www.thereformalliance.org/about/