SILOAM SPRINGS, Ark. — Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders visited Northwest Arkansas for a town hall meeting about the LEARNS Act.
This comes as the implementation of the act has been halted due to an ongoing legal battle with a group that opposes the legislation.
People gathered Monday morning at John Brown University in Siloam Springs to ask questions about the legislation and learn about what comes next.
LEARNS, the education reform plan that promises a private school voucher program, paid maternity leave programs, literacy programs, and teacher salary raises, has drawn concern from some who are worried the voucher program would lead to further privatization of Arkansas education.
Sanders says her administration is pushing these changes because they believe in Arkansas teachers, “Arkansas has some of the best teachers that you will find anywhere in the country, and they deserve to be rewarded for their hard work."
To get that issue on the November 2024 ballot, they need to collect over 55-thousand signatures from 50 Arkansas counties.
Despite the ongoing legal tensions, Sanders said she is confident the court will rule in favor of the state, and LEARNS will take effect by fall.
“I believe people are trying to play political games with our kids’ future,” Sanders said. "At the end of the day, we're not going to let that happen. This is too important. The future of our state, literally, I think, hangs in the balance of our kids being able to have access to quality education. This helps do that and we're not going to stop until we see it implemented.”
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