All Roll Calls
Yes: 90 • No: 33
ArkansasHB19452025 Regular SessionHouseWALLET
TO AMEND THE ARKANSAS OPPORTUNITY PUBLIC SCHOOL CHOICE ACT; TO AMEND THE PUBLIC SCHOOL CHOICE ACT OF 2015; AND TO ALLOW A STUDENT TO TRANSFER TO ANOTHER PUBLIC SCHOOL WITHIN HIS OR HER RESIDENT DISTRICT.
Sponsored By: Breanne Davis (Republican), Austin McCollum (Republican)
Enacted
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
9 provisions identified: 3 benefits, 1 costs, 5 mixed.
Clearer transfer rules and student protections
Each Arkansas district must join school choice and post transfer policies, subject to enforceable court orders addressing past racial segregation. Superintendents must tell local and neighboring families about deadlines, requirements, and how to apply. Admissions cannot consider grades, sports ability, English skills, or disciplinary history, except as allowed for expulsion proceedings. Receiving districts cannot discriminate based on home address, gender, national origin, race, ethnicity, religion, or disability. Districts report applications, acceptances, denials, and reasons each year, and the state education division publishes the data.
More public school options for families
Arkansas students can seek another district or another public school in their home district. They qualify through a Level 5 district, an F-rated school, or a best-interest decision by a parent or guardian. Students age 18 or older can make that decision themselves. Qualifying tuition agreements remain available when the fees also apply to students assigned to the receiving district. The law also allows international exchange students placed with host families by registered placement organizations to attend.
More school choices for military families
Military dependents eligible under Arkansas Code § 6-18-1909(a) can apply to another school inside or outside their home district. Applications must include the qualifying adult's identification card and official orders, assignment notice, or mobilization notice. The process requires state education division approval and submission to both districts for an out-of-district request. Qualifying dependents of uniformed service members and veterans have exceptions to the general May 1 deadline.
Sibling transfer priority with space limits
Districts must set capacity for every school and grade. A nonresident school can lack capacity at the legal student-to-teacher limit or when its grade-level seats are at least 95% filled on the application date. Capacity claims must follow state and federal law. Applicants get priority when a sibling or stepsibling in the same household already attends by choice. Within-district transfer students can stay for their remaining school years; siblings can apply and stay if admitted, but admission cannot require added teachers, staff, classrooms, or violations of standards.
Students keep credits but reset transfers
Receiving schools must accept graduation credits awarded by another district and issue a diploma once their graduation requirements are met. Prior school-choice transfers remain valid, and students generally can stay through high school. Students can return during the year to their home district or the school they left. Returning, or entering private or home school, ends the transfer and requires a new application for a future transfer. Each student can receive only one school-choice transfer per school year.
Transfer deadlines and appeals for families
Requests generally run from January 1 through May 1 for the next school year, with exceptions for qualifying military families. Districts accept state-approved forms by mail, email, or hand delivery; within-district applications are reviewed in arrival order. Within-district applicants receive written notice within 15 calendar days, and acceptance or rejection is due by July 1. Within-district transfers, and transfers covered by subsection (n), start upon written acceptance. Families can appeal a within-district denial to the State Board of Education, with a written request postmarked within 10 days after receiving notice; late applications get no hearing.
Transfer students gain activity access protections
Students cannot lose extracurricular access or face discipline solely because they transfer under the Public School Choice Act of 2015. Students enrolled by July 1 before entering grades 7–12 must file the Changing Schools/Athletic Participation form. It goes to the receiving district and Arkansas Activities Association, with parent and home-district superintendent signatures; cross-district transfers also need the receiving superintendent's signature. A superintendent need not sign when evidence shows recruiting or a transfer solely for sports. School personnel and registered volunteers cannot recruit students for athletic purposes.
Transfer families face attendance and travel duties
Students using opportunity school choice must attend throughout the year and follow the receiving school's conduct rules. Parents or guardians must meet the school's family-involvement requirements. Failure to comply ends the choice benefit unless excused for illness or other good cause. Families are responsible for travel to and from a nonresident school. A receiving district can arrange transportation through a written agreement with the family or home district.
School aid counts students where enrolled
For state aid, a transfer student counts toward the receiving district's average daily enrollment. This applies only to transfers to a nonresident district under the Public School Choice Act of 2015. The law sets no specific aid amount or direct payment to families.
Sponsors & Cosponsors
Sponsors
Breanne Davis
Republican • Senate
Austin McCollum
Republican • House
Cosponsors
Jim Dotson
Republican • Senate
Roll Call Votes
Senate vote • 4/16/2025
Senate Vote - Wednesday, April 16, 2025 10:39:16 AM
Yes: 31 • No: 3 • Other: 1
House vote • 4/9/2025
House Vote - Wednesday, April 9, 2025 3:34:06 PM
Yes: 59 • No: 30 • Other: 3
Actions Timeline
Notification that HB1945 is now Act 913
4/21/2025HouseCorrectly enrolled and ordered transmitted to the Governor's Office.
4/16/2025HouseTO BE ENROLLED
4/16/2025HouseReturned from the Senate as passed.
4/16/2025HouseReturned to the House as passed.
4/16/2025SenateRead the third time and passed.
4/16/2025SenateReturned by the Committee, with the recommendation that it Do Pass
4/15/2025SenateRead first time, rules suspended, read second time, referred to EDUCATION COMMITTEE - SENATE
4/9/2025SenateReceived from the House.
4/9/2025SenateRead the third time and passed and ordered transmitted to the Senate.
4/9/2025HouseReturned by the Committee Do Pass
4/8/2025HouseREPORTED CORRECTLY ENGROSSED
4/7/2025HouseAmendment No. 1 read and adopted and the bill ordered engrossed.
4/7/2025HousePlaced on second reading for the purpose of amendment.
4/7/2025HouseRead the first time, rules suspended, read the second time and referred to the Committee on EDUCATION COMMITTEE- HOUSE
3/31/2025HouseFiled
3/31/2025House
Bill Text
HB1945 - Introduced
3/31/2025
Act Version
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