The three school-aged children of Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders and first gentleman Bryan Sanders are not eligible for the state’s Educational Freedom Accounts despite living in a neighborhood that is served by two F-graded schools.
The Governor’s Mansion that became home to the Sanders family earlier this year is in the attendance zone for the Little Rock School District’s Washington Elementary and Dunbar Magnet Middle schools, both of which received “F” grades from the state in 2022-23.
Alexa Henning, a spokesperson for the governor, said Friday that the Sanders children do not qualify for the accounts and are not participating.
To be eligible for state-funded tuition aid of as much as $6,672 in the new school year, students had to previously attend an F-graded public school, have special education needs, received an earlier Succeed Scholarship or be entering kindergarten.
Those categories don’t apply to the Sanders family, Henning said.
The Educational Freedom Accounts are a component of the Arkansas LEARNS Act of 2023 that was initiated and championed by the governor.
“The Governor is excited that starting this school year, eligible kids in Arkansas will be able to apply for Education Freedom Accounts that will help students have access to the quality education that fits their needs,” Henning said.
This story has been updated. It was originally published at 12:57 p.m. under the headline “The governor’s children are not eligible and are not participating in the state’s expanded voucher program.”
Print Headline: Governor’s kids don’t qualify for state aid; Requirements not met to participate