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 state that a district may place students in an alternative learning environment if such an environment is provided by the district. Additionally, it revises Arkansas Code 6-48-102 to change the requirement for school districts from a mandatory obligation to a permissive option, allowing them to provide one or more alternative learning environments based on established criteria.

Furthermore, the bill outlines various methods by which school districts may provide alternative learning environments, including establishing their own, collaborating with other districts, utilizing education service cooperatives, or partnering with higher education institutions for concurrent courses. It also mandates that districts offering alternative learning environments submit annual reports to the Division of Elementary and Secondary Education, detailing demographic information about the students served and ensuring compliance with the relevant regulations.

Statutes affected:
HB 1903: 6-18-503(a)
Act 911: 6-18-503(a)