LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (KATV) — A Sherwood mother said Arkansas’ school voucher program has helped her son thrive academically and socially, but it has also created an unexpected financial burden for her family.
Tiffany Ward said enrolling her son in a private school through the state’s LEARNS Education Freedom Account program has been a positive change.
“He has socially thrived,” Ward said. “He plays sports, and that was something that I don’t think would have ever happened if I had kept him in a public school.”
However, Ward said the move came with a major downside: her son lost access to free and reduced-price school meals after leaving the Pulaski County Special School District to attend Abundant Life Christian Academy.
“Our income didn’t change, our household didn’t change, his school changed,” Ward said.
Ward said her family now has to either pay out of pocket for school lunches or stretch an already tight grocery budget even further. She said daily meals can cost as much as $15, adding up quickly over time.
“The rising cost of groceries has definitely had a huge impact on us and how we just have to cut more corners,” she said.
Ward said she attempted to use leftover Education Freedom Account funds to help cover food costs, but was denied.
“I got an email that stated that the EFA does not pay for nutritional aspects of the child’s academic growth,” Ward said. “And I thought, well, that’s kind of ridiculous.”
She argues the issue exposes a larger policy gap in the state’s education funding system, where money follows the student for tuition but does not account for basic needs such as meals.
“Nutrition plays a huge role in your child’s academic growth,” Ward said. “I just felt like that needs to be brought to light because that’s a gap.”
Ward said she is not asking for additional funding, but rather a fairer distribution of existing resources.
“We’re not asking for new funding,” she said. “We just want the funding developed and delivered to the students fairly.”
She said she hopes state lawmakers will take a closer look at the policy so families are not forced to choose between educational opportunity and basic necessities.
For private schools participating in the Education Freedom Account program, meal provision is typically handled by the individual school and is not subsidized through voucher funds.
Dining and Cooking