School Choice Information and Timeline
The following timeline applies to the Arkansas Public School Choice Act of 2015.
January 1 - May 1 : In accordance with Act 490 of 2021 (codified at Ark. Code Ann. § 6-18-1905(a)), the period for applicant filing and school districts accepting school choice applications begins on January 1 and runs through May 1.
Parents must submit school choice applications to the Nonresident district and the students Resident district. The application must be delivered or postmarked no later than May 1 of the calendar year in which the student seeks to begin the fall semester at the nonresident district. However, if a student has a parent or guardian who is an active-duty member of the military who has been transferred to and resides on a military base, and who provides military transfer orders and documentation that confirms the date of transfer to and residence on the military base, then the student's application for a transfer is not subject to the May 1 deadline. Instead, the applicant must file an application for a transfer within fifteen (15) days of the parent or guardian's arrival on the military base and must include the above documents.
By July 1: The superintendent of the nonresident district shall notify the applicant and the applicant's resident district in writing as to whether the application has been accepted or rejected. Before approving or rejecting any application, a nonresident district shall determine whether any limitations apply to the application and whether the resident district has met its numerical net maximum limit on school choice transfers under Ark. Code Ann. § 6-18-1906.