Arkansas Code of 1987 (2023) › Title 6 - EDUCATION (§§ 6-1-101 — 6-87-104) › Subtitle 2 - ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION GENERALLY (§§ 6-10-101 — 6-28-206) › Chapter 18 - STUDENTS (§§ 6-18-101 — 6-18-2608) › Subchapter 2 - ATTENDANCE (§§ 6-18-201 — 6-18-236) › Section 6-18-203 - Attendance in district other than district of residence

(a)
The school-age children of a person who owns land meeting at least one (1) of the following conditions shall be eligible to attend the school in either of the school districts in which the person's tract of land or principal place of residence is located, regardless of the location of the home on the property:
(1)
The undivided tract of land on which the person's principal place of residence lies is located partially in one (1) school district and partially in another school district; or
(2)
The person's principal place of residence is located partially in one (1) school district and partially in another school district.
(b)
(1)
A child or ward of a person who before April 1, 2009, is at least a half-time employee of a public school district in this state or is a full-time employee of an education service cooperative and is a resident of another school district in this state may enroll in and attend school in:
(A)
The school district in which the parent or guardian resides;
(B)
The school district in which the parent or guardian is at least a half-time employee of that public school district; or
(C)
Any school district located in the county where the main office of the education service cooperative is located.
(2)
A child or ward of a person who on or after April 1, 2009, is a full-time employee of a public school district or an educational service cooperative and is a resident of another school district in this state may enroll in and attend school in:
(A)
The school district in which the parent or guardian resides;
(B)
The school district in which the parent or guardian is a full-time employee of that public school district; or
(C)
Any school district located in the county where the main office of the educational service cooperative is located.
(3)
(A)
A student enrolled in kindergarten through grade eight (K-8) under subdivision (b)(1) or subdivision (b)(2) of this section shall be entitled to continue attending school in the enrolled school district, regardless of a change to the employment status of the parent or guardian, until the end of the school year if:
(i)
The parent or guardian was employed by the school district or education service cooperative for a minimum of one hundred twenty (120) days before leaving employment; and
(ii)
The student maintains uninterrupted enrollment in the school district and is not expelled after the parent or guardian of the student is no longer employed by the school district or education service cooperative.
(B)
A student enrolled in grade nine through twelve (9-12) under subdivision (b)(1) or subdivision (b)(2) of this section shall be entitled to continue attending school in the enrolled school district, regardless of change to the employment status of the parent or guardian, through the completion of the secondary program, if:
(i)
The parent or guardian was employed by the school district or education service cooperative for a minimum of three (3) consecutive contract years, with a minimum of one hundred twenty (120) contract days each year, before leaving employment; and
(ii)
The student maintains uninterrupted enrollment in the school district and is not expelled after the parent or guardian of the student is no longer employed by the school district or education service cooperative.
(4)
A nonenrolled sibling of a student who attends a nonresident school district under this subsection shall have no right to future enrollment based on the privilege of enrollment extended to his or her sibling if the parent or guardian is no longer a full-time employee of the school district or education service cooperative.
(5)
(A)
(i)
The General Assembly recognizes and embraces the responsibility of the state to promote desegregation of its schools and finds that this enactment affects such a limited class of students that desegregation will not be impeded.
(ii)
If, however, unforeseen circumstances result in a finding by a court that a school district is unlawfully segregated in whole or in part as a result of these provisions, the provisions in this subsection shall not apply to the children or wards of teachers in that district.
(B)
Therefore, the provisions in this subsection shall not apply to the children or wards of those teachers who reside in school districts that may hereafter be found by a court to be unlawfully segregated if the finding is based upon segregation that was caused in whole or in part by the effects of these provisions.
(c)
When any employee of the Division of Correction lives on division property or will live on division property as the result of a transfer from a unit of the division to another unit, the children or wards of the employee may complete their education in the school district in which they are enrolled at the time the parent or guardian is transferred.
(d)
Any child and that child's sibling or siblings currently attending a nonresident school under subsection (a) of this section shall be allowed to complete all remaining school years at the nonresident district or may attend the resident district if he or she so chooses.
(e)
(1)
When a parent or guardian who while on active duty in or serving in the reserve component of a branch of the United States Armed Forces or National Guard relocates within the state due to a mobilization, deployment, or available military housing, the children of the parent or guardian may:
(A)
Continue attending school in the school district the children were attending before the relocation; or
(B)
Attend school in the school district where the children have relocated.
(2)
A child enrolled in a school district under this subsection may complete all remaining school years at the enrolled school district, regardless of mobilization, deployment, or military status of the parent or guardian.
(f)
(1)
A child whose parent or legal guardian relocates him or her to a nonresident school district may complete all remaining school years at the school district in which he or she is enrolled at the time of the relocation, regardless of the residency status of the child.
(2)
However, a school district in which a student is enrolled at the time of the relocation and where he or she will complete his or her remaining school years shall not be required to provide transportation for the student to and from his or her original school district if the child's new residency status is outside the boundaries of his or her original school district.
Amended by Act 2023, No. 189,§ 1, eff. 8/1/2023.
Amended by Act 2023, No. 43,§ 1, eff. 8/1/2023.
Amended by Act 2019, No. 910,§ 684, eff. 7/1/2019.
Amended by Act 2017, No. 1065,§ 1, eff. 8/1/2017.
Acts 1983, No. 822, § 1; A.S.A. 1947, § 80-1568; Acts 1987, No. 624, § 1; 1991, No. 915, § 1; 1993, No. 1105, § 1; 1995, No. 726, § 1; 1997, No. 1304, § 1; 1999, No. 947, § 1; 2001, No. 1207, § 1; 2003, No. 144, § 1; 2007, No. 379, § 1; 2007, No. 617, § 12; 2009, No. 1368, § 1; 2011, No. 981, § 7.