Supplemental Educational Services and School Choice Act

In response to Arkansas’ approved Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) Flexibility Request, the U.S. Department of Education has granted Arkansas schools a waiver of § 1116(b)(5) of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. This section formerly required schools in year 2 or greater of school improvement to provide supplemental educational services from providers approved by the Arkansas Department of Education (ADE). Because of this waiver, Arkansas schools are no longer required to provide Supplemental Educational Services (SES) through approved SES providers. Arkansas schools are no longer required to set aside 20% of Title I funds for school choice and SES. 

Therefore, for the duration of this waiver, the ADE will not consider or approve applications from SES providers for approval. The Department will no longer maintain a list of approved SES providers. 

For more information, please click here or contact:

Arkansas Department of Education

Division of Learning Services

Four Capitol Mall, Mail Slot #26

Little Rock, AR 72201

APPLICATION FOR TRANSFER TO A NON-RESIDENT  DISTRICT

Transfer applications must be received in the Superintendent's office by May 1st.

May 1 -- Parents must submit school choice applications to the nonresident district. The nonresident district shall notify the resident district of the filing of the application.

NOTE: Act 560 of 2015 revised the school choice law application procedures. Under the former school choice law, applications were due by June 1 and parents had the responsibility of providing copies of the application to both the nonresident and resident districts. Under Act 560 of 2015, parents must submit applications by May 1 and the nonresident district has the responsibility of notifying the resident district of the filing of the application. School districts that have already received school choice applications on a previous version of the application form should review the applications in light of the new requirements of Act 560 of 2015 and approve or disapprove the applications in the order they were received. Nonresident districts should provide copies of the applications to the resident districts. 

July 1 -- The superintendent of the nonresident district shall notify the parent and resident district in writing as to whether the student’s application has been accepted or rejected.

NOTE: Under the former school choice law, a nonresident school district had to make a determination regarding whether to accept or deny a school choice application by August 1. Act 560 of 2015 requires that the determination be made by July 1. As noted above, the nonresident district has the responsibility of notifying the resident district of the filing of the application. Additionally, a nonresident district that receives an application shall, upon receipt of the application, place a date and time stamp on the application that reflects the date and time the nonresident district received the application. A nonresident district shall review and make a determination on each application in the order in which the application was received by the nonresident district. Before approving or rejecting an application, a nonresident district shall determine whether any of the limitations under Ark. Code Ann. § 6-18-1906 (Section 6 of Act 560 of 2015) apply to the application.

You may download the form here.