The bill amends provisions of the Arkansas Code to grant school districts greater flexibility in establishing and managing alternative learning environments for students with disciplinary, social, or behavioral issues. Specifically, it modifies Arkansas Code 6-18-503(a)(1)(C) to allow districts to place students in alternative learning environments if such environments are provided by the district. Additionally, it changes Arkansas Code 6-48-102 to state that a school district may provide one or more alternative learning environments, rather than being required to do so.

Furthermore, the bill outlines various methods by which a school district may establish these alternative learning environments, including operating their own, collaborating with other districts, utilizing education service cooperatives, or partnering with higher education institutions. It also mandates that districts providing alternative learning environments submit annual reports to the Division of Elementary and Secondary Education, detailing demographic information about the students served and confirming compliance with the relevant regulations.

Statutes affected:
HB 1903: 6-18-503(a)