PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT

School Choice in Arkansas (AR) allows students to attend a public school in a district other than the one in which they reside. Applications for students in all AR counties for the 2025-2026 school year begins on January 1, 2025, and runs through May 1, 2025 in order to qualify for provisions under the AR Public School Choice Act 490 of 2021.

Pursuant to standards adopted by a non-resident school board, a non-resident district may reserve the right to accept or reject applicants based on capacity of programs, class, grade level, or school building. Likewise, a non-resident district’s standards may provide for the rejection of an applicant based upon the submission of false or misleading information to the above listed request for information when that information directly impacts the legal qualifications of an applicant to transfer pursuant to the School Choice Act. However, a non-resident district’s standards shall not include an applicant’s previous academic achievement, athletic or other extra-curricular ability, handicapping conditions, English proficiency level, or previous disciplinary proceedings, except that an expulsion from another district may be included pursuant to Ark. Code Ann. 6-18-510. Priority will be given to applicants with siblings attending the district. The non-resident district shall accept credits toward graduation that were awarded by another district & award a diploma to a non-resident applicant if the applicant meets the non-resident district’s graduation requirements. 

Applications must be postmarked or delivered to the Superintendent of Schools no later than May 1 for a child to be able to enroll for the fall semester. Transfers shall be granted on a non-discriminatory basis. Students who have been accepted & enrolled in previous years do not have to reapply as approved transfers remain valid for as long as the student attends that public school.