New School Fair Celebrating Increased Options to Bring Little Rock Families, Educators Together

500+ students, parents, teachers to enjoy day of family fun highlighting educational options

LITTLE ROCK, Ark., Jan. 15, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- With the biggest educational choice expansion in Arkansas history taking place this school year, families and teachers are ready to celebrate this National School Choice Week. At the Statehouse Convention Center on Saturday, Jan. 20, several hundred community members will gather to highlight K-12 learning options, especially the state's new Children's Education Freedom Account (EFA) Program.

All Arkansas families are invited to join the free school fair, which runs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. With more than 30 local vendors available for families to speak with, including schools, tutors and other learning and community services, the event will highlight a wide range of options, from traditional public schools to private schools and microschools.

The fair, hosted by The Reform Alliance, will shine a special light on learning choices now accessible to families through the LEARNS Act. Enacted in 2023, the LEARNS Act allows 90% of state education funding, approximately $6,600 per student annually, to be deposited in an EFA for qualifying families to use on approved expenses, including private school tuition or fees. Beginning with enrollment this spring, approved expenses for next school year can also include learning materials, tutoring, therapy and more. All students in Arkansas will be eligible to apply to the program in 2025.

While parents explore schools and other services, learn the ins and outs of the LEARNS Act, and have their questions answered, children can enjoy a photo booth, face painting, DJ, balloon artist, and free snacks.

Decked out with balloons, this event will be the largest celebration of school choice in the state during National School Choice Week (Jan. 21-27, 2024), but not the only one. The Reform Alliance will also be hosting community celebrations across the state, including in Batesville on Jan. 22 and both Jonesboro and Star City on Jan. 25. Meanwhile, across the country, the Week will feature more than 26,000 school choice celebrations, including more than 30 large school fairs and nearly three dozen landmark light-ups. In Little Rock, Junction Bridge, Main Street Bridge, and Union Plaza will light up in shades of red and yellow, the Week's signature colors.

The Jan. 20 event marks Little Rock's first large-scale school fair for National School Choice Week. Past celebrations have taken the form of rallies and student meet-ups.

"Last year was a landmark year for educational freedom in Arkansas," said Emmy Henley, managing director for The Reform Alliance. "The LEARNS Act made more options available for more families, and we want them to be able to understand what those options are and how they can access them, whether through the EFA, open enrollment, or other programs. The information fair format of this year's event seemed ideal for doing just that."

The Reform Alliance is a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting educational opportunities and providing a quality education for all students.

The Statehouse Convention Center is located at 101 W. Markham St. The celebration will take place in the Center's Wally Allen Ballroom.

Families can learn more and RSVP for the free event at littlerockschoolfair.com.

National School Choice Week (NSCW) informs, inspires, and empowers parents to discover the K-12 education options available for their children, including traditional public, charter, magnet, online, private, and homeschooling. Every January, tens of thousands of schools, organizations, and individuals plan unique events and activities to shine a positive spotlight on effective education options in their communities. The Week is a project of the nonpartisan, nonpolitical National School Choice Awareness Foundation.

SOURCE National School Choice Week