Sponsor: Representative Andrew Collins and Senator Breanne Davis

House Bill 1051 amends Arkansas Code § 6-10-106(a) regarding when public schools in Arkansas can start their school year.

Here's what it does:

• Removes the fixed start date window: It eliminates the current requirement that schools start no earlier than August 14th and no later than August 26th.
• Gives school boards more control: It restores the ability of individual school boards to set the start date, which must be established by local policy. While school boards have more flexibility, the chosen start date must still comply with the required number of student-teacher interaction days/hours set by the State Board of Education.
• Maintains Labor Day holiday: Schools still can't hold classes on Labor Day.

Essentially, this bill gives greater flexibility to local school boards in setting their start dates while ensuring they still meet state-mandated instructional time requirements.

History

The Legislature adopted the current requirements (that this bill would change) of a start date on or after August 14th and no later than August 26th in the 2024 Fiscal Session this May. It replaced verbiage that stated schools could start no earlier than two weeks before Labor Day.