the Arkansas River Valley school funding blog
Notes for River Valley families on private schools, the Education Freedom Account and what's changing in Arkansas school choice.
Arkansas approved 156 more microschools this year. What to ask before you enroll in one.
Microschools now take Education Freedom Accounts under a lighter approval bar than private schools. What that means for Fort Smith and Van Buren families, and the questions to ask before you pay tuition from your account.
Read →October 23, 2026The two things that keep a Fort Smith EFA open: annual testing and the spring renewal
An Education Freedom Account does not renew itself, and every student on one has to be tested. What River Valley families need to do, who arranges it, and the deadlines to put on the calendar.
Read →October 10, 2026Seven of eight: why most Fort Smith private school families now pay with an EFA
At seven of the eight participating River Valley schools, more than half of students used an Education Freedom Account in 2024-25. What that means for families choosing a school now.
Read →October 9, 2026Van Buren and Crawford County families: how the EFA works on your side of the river
Van Buren has one participating private school and a large homeschool community. How Crawford County families use the Education Freedom Account, at Joshua Academy, in Fort Smith or at home.
Read →October 8, 2026Christ the King, Immaculate Conception and Trinity: Fort Smith Catholic schools and the EFA
Fort Smith's three Catholic schools form one path from pre-K through grade 8. How the Education Freedom Account works across them, with the state's own numbers.
Read →October 7, 2026After eighth grade in Fort Smith: high school options when you have an EFA
Most River Valley private schools end at grade 5, 6 or 8. A practical guide to the high school options for Fort Smith and Van Buren families using an Education Freedom Account.
Read →Get a funding plan for your child
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