Arkansas Homeschool Dad Urges Families to Speak Up on EFA Limits

Paul Bradley wants other homeschoolers to voice concerns over new restrictions on the state's school choice program.

Apr. 1, 2026 at 4:19pm

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When education freedom advocates lost a battle against Arkansas imposing new restrictions on its school choice program, many thought the fight was effectively over. But Paul Bradley, father of an Arkansas homeschool family, wants other homeschoolers to be more vocal about the legislation to change how it is implemented.

Why it matters

The new regulations restrict families to using no more than 25% of their Educational Freedom Account (EFA) money for extracurricular activities, physical education programs or educational field trips, which impacts homeschool families the most. Bradley believes this is an 'overcorrection' by the state to limit fraud and abuse, and wants homeschool families to voice their concerns.

The details

The state says it is trying to limit fraud and abuse with the new EFA restrictions, but Bradley and many homeschool families who testified think it is 'overcorrecting.' Bradley's family used their EFA funds to cover registration fees and uniform fees for team sports, which he says provides important character lessons for his children. He believes removing this eligibility could hurt families financially and inhibit their kids from participating in sports and other activities.

  • The new EFA regulations were passed last year.
  • When the state solicited public comment about how to implement the law, only about 250 families responded.

The players

Paul Bradley

A father of an Arkansas homeschool family who is urging other homeschoolers to speak out against the new EFA restrictions.

Opportunity Arkansas

A conservative think tank that published Bradley's piece calling for homeschool families to voice their concerns.

Alex Wolf

A policy analyst at EdChoice who says lawmakers wanted to 'tamp down any potential risk of the possibility of a bad news story about fraud by an ESA recipient' with the new EFA restrictions.

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What they’re saying

“If you have an opinion, you can say it nicely. It may not turn out the way that you want, but it's important for us to use our voice.”

— Paul Bradley, Arkansas homeschool father

“Homeschool families need to be aware that if you want our voice to be heard, you've got to say something.”

— Paul Bradley, Arkansas homeschool father

“I think that there is a way to hold people accountable that doesn't shut everyone out and cut people off. The EFA gives families flexibility to allow their kids to participate without breaking the budget. Removing that eligibility could hurt families financially and also inhibit their kids from playing at all.”

— Paul Bradley, Arkansas homeschool father

What’s next

The state is expected to finalize the implementation of the new EFA restrictions in the coming months, so Bradley is urging homeschool families to continue speaking out and providing feedback to policymakers.

The takeaway

This case highlights the importance of homeschool families being engaged and vocal with policymakers, even when they think a legislative battle has been lost. By speaking up, they can potentially influence how new regulations are implemented in a way that better serves their needs and preserves the flexibility and benefits of school choice programs like the EFA.