The following Arkansas legislation pertains to students.
  • 6-18-207 and 6-18-201. Compulsory School Attendance - Every Parent, guardian, or other person residing within the State of Arkansas having custody or charge of any child age five (5) through seventeen (17) years on or before August 1 of that year shall enroll and send the child to a public, private, or parochial school, or provide a home school for the child. NOTE: In 2010, the ANSAA board voted to allow our non-public schools a choice of keeping the original school entrance date of September 15 for kindergarten or going with the state ruling of August 1. This variance does not violate the law for compulsory school attendance since a student turning 5 between August 1-September 15 meets the minimum requirement for school attendance.  Those participating in the EFA program must adhere to the dates outlined in the law.
  • 6-18-222. Withdrawal of Students-- All schools, public and private, must notify the Department of Finance and Administration when a student fourteen (14) years of age or older is no longer in school. (Relates to revocation of driving privilege.)
  • 6-18-702. Immunizations-- Except as otherwise provided by law, no infant or child shall be admitted to a public or private school or childcare facility of this state who has not been age-appropriately immunized from diseases as designated by the State Board of Health, as evidenced by a certificate of a licensed physician or a public health department acknowledging the immunization. The following link provides specific information regarding immunization requirements:  https://healthy.arkansas.gov/wp-content/uploads/ImmunizationRequirements.pdf.  A facility may temporarily admit a child provided that the child  becomes appropriately immunized, is in-process of receiving the needed doses of  vaccine, or shows proof that  they have applied for an exemption for those vaccines he/she has not received within thirty  (30) calendar days after  the child’s original admission or by October 1st for Tdap and Meningococcal vaccines at age 11 and 16 years, respectively.  "In process" means the student has received at least one dose of the required immunizations and is waiting the minimum time interval to receive the additional doses.  When a student is admitted who is in the process of completing the required minimum immunizations, the facility shall require each student to complete the required doses on schedule. A written statement from a public health nurse or private physician stating that the student is in process and containing a date when he/she must return for the next immunization shall be in the student's file. If a student does not produce documentation of additional immunizations per the schedule or show proof that they have applied for an exemption from the immunization requirements, they must be excluded from the facility until documentation is provided.  The immunization series does not need to be restarted as each dose of vaccine counts toward the minimum requirements.  Children whose parents or guardians object based on religious tenets and practices of a recognized church or religious denomination may request an exemption from the state which must be renewed annually.   Schools must create and post an annual report by December 1 of each year outlining the number and percentage of students who have an exemption to one or more vaccinations and the number and percentage of students who have neither proof of vaccination nor obtained an exemption as required by state law.
  • 6-18-1704, 6-18-1705, and 6-18-1706. International Exchange Students--Requires an international student exchange visitor placement organization to comply with the rules and regulations outlined when placing a student in a public or private school in the state. An international student exchange visitor placement organization that proposes to place a foreign exchange student in a public or private school in this state shall submit an application for a certificate of registration with the Secretary of State by January 1 immediately preceding the next regular school year in which the organization proposes to place a foreign exchange student.
  • 6-15-509. Allows AAA Member Schools  to Play a Home School Teams –AAA member schools may play a home school team if the home school team complies with the AAA rules.
  • 6-22-105. Registered Volunteers – Amends the Arkansas Registered Volunteers Program Act; defines regulations for extracurricular and interscholastic activity volunteers. (Applies to AAA schools)
  • Act 863, 2015. AAA Participation.   Allows 9th grade private school students attending a AAA school that does not offer grades 10-12 to participate in spring athletics at their public school.
  • 6-15-510. AAA Participation – A home-school student may participate in interscholastic activities at a private school.
  • 20-15-802. Scoliosis Screening -- Private schools must institute as soon as possible a continuing scoliosis screening program in accordance with State Board of Health regulations; girls in the 6th and 8th grades and boys in the 8th grade (AR Dept. of Health).  Rules, training information and forms can be found at https://www.healthy.arkansas.gov/programs-services/topics/school-nurses.
  • 6-18-208. Student’s Social Security Numbers -- This act only applies to public schools.  Nonpublic schools may want to follow to protect the privacy of their students.  No public school shall use, display, release or print a student’s  social security number or any part of the number on any report, identification card, or any document that will be made  available or  released to the public, a student, or a student’s parent without the written  consent of the student’s parent.
  • 12-18-402. Mandated Reporting of Child Abuse --An individual listed as a mandated reporter (as related to education this would be all public and private school teachers, school officials,  and employees) shall immediately notify the Child Abuse Hotline if he or she has reasonable cause to suspect that a child has been abuse or maltreated.
  • 17-1-105.  Notification of Mandatory Reporters --Each board, commission, or other entity that licenses mandatory reporters of child abuse and neglect shall provide notice to each licensee concerning the online and web-based child abuse reporting program required under § 16-10-138.                            
  • 12-18-610. Child Abuse Investigations/ Access to School Records--Law enforcement officials and personnel conducting an investigation shall be allowed access to the child's public and private school records during the course of the child maltreatment investigation.
  • 12-18-204. Unlawful Restriction of Child Abuse Reporting--An employer or supervisor of an employee identified as a mandated reporter commits the offense of unlawful restriction of child abuse reporting if he or she: (A) Prohibits a mandated reporter from making a report to the Child Abuse Hotline; (B) Requires that a mandated reporter receive permission or notify a person before making a report to the Child Abuse Hotline; or (C) Knowingly retaliates against a mandated reporter.                    
  • 6-82-306. Arkansas Governor’s School Eligibility -- Eligibility provisions for the Arkansas Governor’s Scholars Program that the weight assigned to each individual criterion under this subdivision does not place a home-schooled, public school, or private school student at a disadvantage.
  • Act 461.  "Fairness in Women’s Sports Act” -- States that interscholastic, intercollegiate, intramural, or club athletic team or sport shall be expressly designated as male or female based on biological sex. The law applies to all public schools and any private schools that compete against them. 
  •  Act 953.  “Gender Integrity Reinforcement Legislation for Sports (Girls) Act” -- States that participants in athletics, sports, or similar activities are designated as male, female, or coed/mixed. Members of the male sex cannot participate in athletics, sports, or other similar activity that is expressly designated for females.  Applies to public schools and private schools that compete with them. 
  • 6-18-720. Seizure Training  – Requires private (and public) schools to have at least two employees trained for implementation of a student seizure action plan by the 2024-2025 school year.
  •  6-18-115.  AAA -- Defines athletic participation for homeless students and allows soccer players to play both club and high school soccer at the same time.