Bill > HB1051

This bill amends Arkansas's public school start date requirements by modifying the existing law regarding when schools can begin their academic year. Specifically, the bill removes the previous precise date restrictions (which previously required schools to start between August 14-26) and replaces them with a more flexible policy that allows school district boards of directors and open-enrollment public charter school governing entities to establish their own start dates. The bill maintains that these start dates must still comply with the State Board of Education's Standards for Accreditation regarding the required number of student-teacher interaction days or hours. The legislation also preserves the existing requirement that Labor Day must be celebrated as a school holiday, during which no school can be held. Additionally, the bill eliminates previous provisions that allowed the Division of Elementary and Secondary Education to grant waivers for schools to start earlier or later due to exceptional circumstances, effectively standardizing the start date selection process across school districts. The definition of "week" remains unchanged, still referring to a seven-day period from Sunday to Saturday.

Education

https://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/Bills/Detail?id=hb1051&ddBienniumSession=2025%2F2025R