Arkansas school voucher application asked parents why they were looking for alternatives to public school; among choices: "different racial mix"

essentialsaltes · Mar 14, 2025

At 8 a.m. on March 3, the Arkansas Department of Education opened up online applications for state-funded school vouchers for the 2025-26 school year. Created by Gov. Sarah Sanders’ 2023 LEARNS Act, the vouchers give families nearly $7,000 per student to put toward private school tuition or homeschool expenses. And as of last week, they’re newly available to all K-12 students statewide.

By early that Monday afternoon, the voucher application was drawing fire on social media over a multiple-choice question that asked parents why they were applying. Among the nine options provided was this one: “To access a different racial mix of students for my child.”

In the roughly six hours the original response options were available, 110 applicants representing 129 students clicked to indicate that accessing “a different racial mix of students for my child” was among the top three reasons they wanted a school voucher.

I mean, that's valuable information. Segregation academies used to be popular in some demographics. But, they scrubbed the answer choice.

essentialsaltes · Mar 14, 2025

'Why are you liberals always bringing race into things?'

RileyG · Mar 14, 2025

I have no words.

Servus · Mar 14, 2025

essentialsaltes said:
At 8 a.m. on March 3, the Arkansas Department of Education opened up online applications for state-funded school vouchers for the 2025-26 school year. Created by Gov. Sarah Sanders’ 2023 LEARNS Act, the vouchers give families nearly $7,000 per student to put toward private school tuition or homeschool expenses. And as of last week, they’re newly available to all K-12 students statewide.

By early that Monday afternoon, the voucher application was drawing fire on social media over a multiple-choice question that asked parents why they were applying. Among the nine options provided was this one: “To access a different racial mix of students for my child.”

In the roughly six hours the original response options were available, 110 applicants representing 129 students clicked to indicate that accessing “a different racial mix of students for my child” was among the top three reasons they wanted a school voucher.

I mean, that's valuable information. Segregation academies used to be popular in some demographics. But, they scrubbed the answer choice.

I take it that it's assumed the 110 out of 129 applicants are all white? Or was it only issued to white applicants?

Servus · Mar 14, 2025

essentialsaltes said:
'Why are you liberals always bringing race into things?'

That's a rhetorical question.

Bradskii · Mar 14, 2025

Maybe the mix was too white.

essentialsaltes · Mar 14, 2025

ozso said:
I take it that it's assumed the 110 out of 129 applicants are all white? Or was it only issued to white applicants?

I really can't comment on your assumption about other people's assumptions.

Servus · Mar 14, 2025

essentialsaltes said:
I really can't comment on your assumption about other people's assumptions.

Those also were rhetorical questions. Although I should have said white conservatives. It's clear by now liberalism works hard at putting out the message that most conservatives are white racists.

NxNW · Mar 15, 2025

ozso said:
Those also were rhetorical questions. Although I should have said white conservatives. It's clear by now liberalism works hard at putting out the message that most conservatives are white racists.

Conservatives in Arkansas seem to be putting the message out on their own.

Servus · Mar 15, 2025

NxNW said:
Conservatives in Arkansas seem to be putting the message out on their own.

I guess some folks don't get that "a different racial mix of students" means diversity. Not segregation. A racist would not want a mix, they'd want all the students to be the same race/color as their kid(s).

Pommer · Mar 15, 2025

ozso said:
I guess some folks don't get that "a different racial mix of students" means diversity. Not segregation. A racist would not want a mix, they'd want all the students to be the same race/color as their kid(s).

I think you’ve got “racist” conflated with “segregationist”, here.

Fantine · Mar 15, 2025

This will be the first year of vouchers. The first ,two years were only open to entering kindergarteners and first graders, children in underperforming schools, foster children and former foster children.

There were a number of well-established private schools, many religious, that were able to assimilate the students who requested vouchers.

This year everyone will be able to apply for vouchers, and this is what I predict will happen,
1) The well-established private schools I know of are full. They are not inclined to build new classrooms, or overcrowd their existing classrooms to take children. And so they will cherry pick. They will prioritize for religion (we have Catholic, Lutheran, and non-denominational Protestant schools). After that, they will take siblings of existing students who have different faiths. After that they can cherry pick, and are unlikely to pick the kids who need help most.
2) The voucher (about $7K) will not be high enough to pay for most private schools. The religious ones are at that level--possibly a little bit higher. They will cover the shortfall with scholarships for children who share their faith. The non-religious ones might be considerably higher.
3) There are charter schools who will establish their own entrance criteria.
4) In Arizona when their vouchers became fully functional, the state's budget was financially swamped. And that means less money for every other program, including things like higher education and public schools.
5) In the meantime, homeschooling families can get some voucher money for their educational expenses. A horse-riding academy in a nearby area is advertising that homeschoolers can get vouchers for riding lessons (and, I'm sure, dance, music, robotics, any number of other things.)
It is amazing how much damage a government dismantler can do in a year or two of being in power.

Hans Blaster · Mar 15, 2025

RileyG said:
I have no words.

That's what this was always about, well that and a couple other things:

1. Sending your kids to a school with fewer students of other races.
2. Getting the taxpayer to pay for/ subsidize your kid's religious school
3. Wrecking public schools generally.

Well. that's about it.

Oompa Loompa · Mar 15, 2025

essentialsaltes said:
At 8 a.m. on March 3, the Arkansas Department of Education opened up online applications for state-funded school vouchers for the 2025-26 school year. Created by Gov. Sarah Sanders’ 2023 LEARNS Act, the vouchers give families nearly $7,000 per student to put toward private school tuition or homeschool expenses. And as of last week, they’re newly available to all K-12 students statewide.

By early that Monday afternoon, the voucher application was drawing fire on social media over a multiple-choice question that asked parents why they were applying. Among the nine options provided was this one: “To access a different racial mix of students for my child.”

In the roughly six hours the original response options were available, 110 applicants representing 129 students clicked to indicate that accessing “a different racial mix of students for my child” was among the top three reasons they wanted a school voucher.

I mean, that's valuable information. Segregation academies used to be popular in some demographics. But, they scrubbed the answer choice.

Maybe it is black parents who want to send their children out of the failing inter-city schools.

Oompa Loompa · Mar 15, 2025

Hans Blaster said:
That's what this was always about, well that and a couple other things:

1. Sending your kids to a school with fewer students of other races.
2. Getting the taxpayer to pay for/ subsidize your kid's religious school
3. Wrecking public schools generally.

Well. that's about it.

I think it is a little biased that you assume that "different racial mix" means "primarily white."

Fantine · Mar 15, 2025

A child in a failing inner city school would have a hard time getting placed. The private schools can accept who they want.
The parents must also have the means--and schedules--to transport the children to and from school at their expense.

dogs4thewin · Mar 15, 2025

Fantine said:
A child in a failing inner city school would have a hard time getting placed. The private schools can accept who they want.
The parents must also have the means--and schedules--to transport the children to and from school at their expense.

and as someone who is disabled and did attend public school guess what I support places rights schools and otherwise to be able to refuse service to the disabled. Why becaue I would whether them legally be allowed to refuse service and do so than be forced to try and come up short. I have MUCH more respect for a place of business who tells me that X Y Z in their business is not acceiable or even if built before 1990 that they business has no or hard access at all than I do for a business who meets the minimum standards for the ADA which I do not know who the heck comes up with those standards because they are not actuate get there and can not engage in the services I want ( or easily do so) because they think that the minimum standards actually meet accessability NEEDS. All that to say that a chool should be able to pick the students they can BEST serve ( not all students learn best in a traditional classroom setting and certainly not in the public schools.

Bradskii · Mar 15, 2025

Oompa Loompa said:
Maybe it is black parents who want to send their children out of the failing inter-city schools.

Could be. But are you saying that the Republican run Division of Elementary and Secondary Education is doing a bad job? Or their department of Education? Or would you lay the blame on Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders? They are the people responsible for running the schools.

Bradskii · Mar 15, 2025

Oompa Loompa said:
Maybe it is black parents who want to send their children out of the failing inter-city schools.

Following on from that last post, here's the ranking of the first 25 states re education and who they voted for 4 years ago. The gradings come from here: Most Educated U.S. States 2025 and the list from here: https://medium.com/@kathrynstaublin/the-most-educated-states-voted-blue-f60f304531f7

All but 2 of the bottom 20 voted for Trump. You can draw your own conclusions. You can have mine if you like.

Fantine · Mar 15, 2025

Bradskii said:
Could be. But are you saying that the Republican run Division of Elementary and Secondary Education is doing a bad job? Or their department of Education? Or would you lay the blame on Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders? They are the people responsible for running the schools.

Private schools have no accountability. Public schools now require 75 hours of community service in HS and a bill pending to require gun training ugh.

Special Ed requires more personnel and IEPs. You do the math. $7K is not enough funding for any private school to "best serve" a disabled child so they have no private option.

Rural schools are most vulnerable. More requirements, less funding, no kids leaving for private schools.

Arkansas school voucher application asked parents why they were looking for alternatives to public school; among choices: "different racial mix"

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