Bill > HB1940

This bill establishes comprehensive requirements for public school districts in Arkansas that wish to implement a four-day school week. The legislation allows school district boards of directors to initiate and maintain a four-day school week without needing approval from the state board or Department of Education, with several key stipulations. These include requiring an average of six hours of instruction per school day and thirty hours per week, which can be met through four seven-and-a-half-hour instructional days, and mandating that high schools (grades 9-12) meet specific clock-hour requirements for Carnegie units. School districts must provide documentation to the Division of Elementary and Secondary Education to demonstrate the educational program's success, using state-approved assessment tests. Additionally, districts must include the four-day school week in their annual public report to gauge local support and community input. The bill prohibits school districts classified as needing intensive support and demonstrating persistent underperformance from implementing a four-day school week. Importantly, districts will not receive additional state financial aid for a four-day school week compared to a five-day week. The bill includes an emergency clause to ensure school districts can plan their calendars for the 2025-2026 school year, with the legislation becoming effective immediately upon gubernatorial approval or other specified conditions.