Hi friends — Janae here. Fifteen years as a school registrar taught me to read the fine print, so every week I go through what actually changed in ESA programs and homeschool law. This was a meaningful week, especially for us here in Arizona.
Arizona: goodbye curriculum-document requirement (mostly)
A settlement in *Mayes v. Aguirre* (announced July 7, effective July 1) changed how ESA families document "general educational supplemental materials." You no longer need to submit a specific curriculum document with those purchases — a signed attestation that the item supports your student's course of study now suffices. Two registrar cautions: attesting falsely carries penalties, so attest honestly; and I'd keep your receipts and a simple note of what each purchase was for anyway. Less paperwork required doesn't mean less scrutiny if a review ever comes — it means the burden shifted to your word.
North Carolina: ESA+ award offers arrive this week — with a 3-week clock
The new state budget funded every eligible waitlisted ESA+ family, and NCSEAA begins sending 2026-27 award offers the week of July 27. Here's the part not to miss: offers come through MyPortal and email with a three-week accept/decline window. One action: check your portal and your spam folder this week, and calendar the deadline the day your offer lands. (Note: this clears the existing waitlist — ESA+ remains closed to brand-new applicants this cycle.)
Arkansas: the new EFA rules are now in force
The spending changes we covered previously took effect July 1, with some finer print now confirmed: the rollover cap is $8,500 per family (or your annual allocation, whichever is less), and on sports — dues for open homeschool/community leagues remain eligible, but tryout-team costs, equipment, and travel are not. Purchases outside core educational expenses need ADE pre-approval before you buy. One action: if your fall plans include a competitive team or a big rollover balance, re-plan now, not at reimbursement time.
Quick hits
South Carolina's ESTF sent its first quarterly disbursement to approved families in late July (applications for 2026-27 remain closed at the 15,000-student cap). In Arizona, a court ruling on the dueling November ballot measures is expected within days — nothing changes for your account yet. Louisiana GATOR families: 2026-27 award notifications still haven't been confirmed — keep an eye on the Odyssey platform. And Utah's state auditor flagged year-one Fits All spending for tighter limits — a signal worth noting even though no rules changed.
Every source is linked below so you can read the primary documents yourself.
*Not legal advice — always confirm against your program's current official handbook.*