§ 6-18-203 - Attendance in district other than district of residence. - Arkansas Statutes

6-18-203. Attendance in district other than district of residence.

(a) (1) Except as provided in subdivision (a)(2) of this section, when any person owns a tract of land on which the person resides and which tract of land is located partially in one (1) school district and partially in another, the school-age children of that person shall attend school in the school district where the residence is located.

(2) When a person owned an undivided tract of land on which that person domiciled for ten (10) or more years prior to August 13, 2001, and which undivided tract of land is located partially in one school district and partially in another, the school-age children of that person, and those of his or her successors in title, shall be eligible to attend the school in either of the districts regardless of the location of the home on the property.

(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 shall be entitled to 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 a public school; 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 at least a full-time employee of a public school in one (1) school district or an educational service cooperative and is a resident of another school district in this state shall be entitled to 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 the public school; 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 (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 (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) 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. 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 Department of Correction lives on department property or will live on department property as the result of a transfer from a unit of the department 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.