The Teacher and Student Protection Act of 2025 aims to enhance the safety of both teachers and students in Arkansas schools by prohibiting the re-placement of students who have exhibited violent or abusive behavior in the same classroom as the teacher or student they harmed. The bill outlines that if a student is removed from class due to such behavior, they must be placed in an appropriate interim learning environment and cannot return to the original class until a conference is held to address the issues. This conference must include the principal, the teacher, the school counselor, and the student's guardians, among others. Additionally, if the behavior is determined to be a manifestation of a disability, specific procedures for handling the situation are established.

The bill also amends existing laws regarding student removal from classrooms, emphasizing that teachers have the authority to remove students who disrupt the learning environment. It introduces new definitions for terms such as "violent or abusive behavior" and "appropriate interim learning environment," and it mandates that students removed for violent behavior must not be placed back in the same class as the victim. The legislation reflects a commitment to creating a safer educational environment by ensuring that repeated violent behavior is addressed effectively and that proper measures are in place to prevent such incidents in the future.

Statutes affected:
Old version HB1062 V2 - 1-15-2025 11:56 AM: 6-18-511, 01-15-2025, 6-48-101, 6-41-217, 6-48-104(a)
Old version HB1062 V3 - 2-3-2025 09:59 AM: 6-18-511, 02-03-2025, 6-41-217, 6-48-104(a)
Old version HB1062 V4 - 2-18-2025 09:35 AM: 6-18-511, 02-18-2025, 6-41-217, 6-48-104(a)
Old version HB1062 V5 - 2-26-2025 10:32 AM: 6-18-511, 02-26-2025, 6-41-217, 6-48-104(a)