Little Rock Central High students stage walkout to protest against Arkansas LEARNS Act voucher system

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – Many Little Rock Central High School students staged a walkout on Thursday to take a stand for their concerns about the Arkansas LEARNS Act.

"We are very very concerned for the state of our education system," student and protest organizer Rhone Kuta said.

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Protestors said the walkout was to demonstrate the disapproval of students receiving Education Freedom Account funds to attend private schools.

For the 2023-2024 school year, the state spent over $30 million on Education Freedom Accounts which uses public tax dollars to pay for kids to go to private schools in the name of school choice.

"Our state government has been passing a lot of laws that we thoroughly disagree with," Kuta said.

The Arkansas Department of Education reports more than 20,000 EFA applications were submitted for the 2024-2025 school year compared to 6,495 applicants in 2023-2024.

Students approved would receive more than $6,000 to help with private school tuition.

This leads Kuta and his fellow classmates who protested alongside him to fear the future of the public school of their choice.

"We are very concerned for the funding of our schools," Kuta said.

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Kuta said it's not just the future of Arkansas that sparks fear, it's the entire country that he feels is moving in a direction of "dark times."

He said that is why the Central High School student body "decided to walk out here to create a safe space and create a feeling of solidarity."

During the 2023-2024 school year, 97 private schools participated in the EFA system compared to 128 for the 2024-2025 school year.

There are eligibility requirements to be approved, but by the 2025-2026 school year, all Arkansas students will be eligible for vouchers.

Eligible children must meet one of the following criteria to qualify for an Education Freedom Account for the 2024-25 school year:

Students from the Succeed Scholarship Program

Students with a disability (IDEA)

Current or former foster care children

Students experiencing homelessness

Children of active-duty military personnel

Children of a military reservist

Children of a US military veteran under Title 38

Children of a first responder or law enforcement officer

Students from "D" or "F" public schools (2023-24 school year) or schools in "Level 5" districts

Kindergartners (private school only)

A spokesperson with the Arkansas Department of Education shared a statement in response to the protest from students at Central High.

"We are encouraged that students are engaged in education. Students need educational options, which LEARNS provides. We fully support local public schools and empowering parents to make the best choices for their child," the statement read. "The Education Freedom Account program provides students of all races and economic statuses the opportunity to attend a quality school of their choice. More than 14,000 students and their families this year would agree. At the end of the day, everyone wins."