ADE Director's Communication Memo Form


Memo Number : COM-08-120

Date Created : 03/27/2008

Attention:

Superintendents
Co-op Directors
Elementary Principals
Middle School Principals
High School Principals

Type of Memo: Regulatory
Response Required: No
   
Section:   Accountability - Dr. Charity Smith, Assistant Commissioner
Subject:
2008-2009 School Choice Eligibility

Regulatory Authority:
Ark. Code Ann. § 6-18-206

Contact Person:
Oliver Dillingham, Berthenia Gill, Keyth Howard

Phone Number:
501-682-4245

E-mail:
Berthenia.Gill@Arkansas.gov

“Arkansas Public School Choice Act of 1989”

A Public School Choice program was established to give parents and students more options with respect to where the student attends public school and to enable any student to attend a school in a district in which the student does not reside, subject to the restrictions contained in Ark. Code Ann. § 6-18-206.

The School Choice Eligibility list can be retrieved from the ArkansasEd.org website by clicking on this link:

http://www.arkansased.org/admin/pdf/school_choice_08-09_020808.pdf

The School Choice Eligibility shows the following:

1. DISTRICT LEA

Each district is designated an LEA identification number.

2. DISTRICT NAME

Each district within the county is listed in alphabetical order.

3. PARTICIPANT

Each school district shall participate in public school choice.

4. ELIGIBILITY CODE

Code 1- indicates that a district is eligible under Ark. Code Ann. § 6-18-206(f)(1), 'No student may transfer to a nonresident district where the percentage of enrollment for the student's race exceeds that percentage in the student’s resident district except in the circumstances set forth in subdivisions (2) and (3) of the subsection.'

Code 2- indicates that a district is eligible under Ark. Code Ann. § 6-18-206(f)(2)(A), 'A transfer to a district is exempt from the restriction set forth in subdivision (f)(1) of this section if the transfer is between two (2) districts within a county and if the minority percentage in the student's race and majority percentages of school enrollment in both the resident and nonresident district remain within an acceptable range of the county's overall minority percentage in the student's race and majority percentages of school population as set forth by the department.'

Code 3- indicates that a district is eligible under Ark. Code Ann. § 6-18-206(f)(3), 'A transfer is exempt from the restriction set forth in subdivision (f)(1) of this section if each school district affected by the transfer does not have a critical mass of minority percentage in the student's race of more than ten percent (10%) of any single race.'

5. PERCENT OF STUDENTS K-12

The percent of Asian, Black, Hispanic, Native, and White students in the district.

6. COUNTY PERCENTS

The percent of Asian, Black, Hispanic, Native, and White students in the county.

7. ACCEPTABLE RANGES

The computed percentage as outlined in Ark. Code Ann. § 6-18-206 (f)(2)(B).

8. AMENDMENT 2001

Section 1 Ark. Code Ann. § 6-18-206(b)(1)(A), is amended to read as follows: 'before a student may attend a school in a non-resident district, the student's parent or guardian must submit an application on a form approved by the Arkansas Department of Education (ADE) to the non-resident district by submitting the application to the superintendent of the school district. This application must be postmarked not later than July 1 of the year in which the student would begin the fall semester at the non-resident district.'

Attached are the 2008-2009 School Choice Eligibility Report and the application form approved by the Arkansas Department of Education that must be submitted by parent or guardian before a student may attend a school in a non-resident district.

Note: If district status is incorrect, please contact the Equity Assistance Center at 501-682-4245.

Attachments:

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