Arkansas Homeschool Requirements

AR Code § 6-15-503(a)(1) requires parents to give written notice to the local school district superintendent of intent to homeschool at the beginning of each school year but no later than August 15, or at least five school days before withdrawing from public school. Under § 6-15-503(a)(3), the notice must include: the student's name, sex, date of birth, grade level, and prior school; the mailing address and telephone number of the home school; the parent's name; plans for interscholastic activity participation; plans to seek a high school equivalency diploma; and the parent's signature. Under § 6-15-503(b), all information provided is confidential and not subject to the Freedom of Information Act. AR Code § 6-15-503(e) prohibits districts from creating additional criteria beyond those in the statute. The Arkansas DESE provides an online NOI portal at noihs.ade.arkansas.gov. Families moving to a new district mid-year must file a new NOI within 30 days of establishing residency.

AR Code § 6-15-503 and the DESE Homeschool Fact Sheet (revised April 2024) confirm that 'parents/legal guardians are not regulated with regards to choice of books, curriculum, online, or correspondence programs. Parents/guardians also set their own schedule of instruction for their child(ren).' The DESE and school districts are not required to furnish any materials. This is a significant departure from the pre-2015 framework, reflecting the legislature's decision to reduce homeschool regulation.

AR Code § 6-15-503 and the DESE Fact Sheet confirm that parents set their own schedule of instruction. There is no state mandate for a minimum number of instructional days or hours per day in the homeschool setting. This contrasts with public school requirements of at least 178 instructional days under Arkansas education regulations.

Prior to Act 832 of 2015, Arkansas required homeschooled students to take a standardized test in certain grades. Act 832 of 2015 repealed that requirement entirely. The current DESE Fact Sheet (April 2024) states: 'Arkansas Act 832 of 2015 repealed home school testing. Parents are no longer required to test their students. If parents choose to test their students, it is at the parents' expense.' Voluntary test options listed by DESE include Stanford 10 (SAT 10), CTBS, Terra Nova (CAT 6), ITBS, ITED, and others. Home school students may also voluntarily participate in state-funded PSAT (10th grade) or ACT (11th grade) by selecting that option on their annual NOI.

AR Code § 6-15-503 contains no recordkeeping mandate. The DESE Fact Sheet (April 2024) states: 'The law does not give the Division of Elementary and Secondary Education or the school district the authority to review or monitor a home school student's work. Parents/legal guardians may choose to keep the following records: Attendance record, a portfolio of the student's work at each grade level, grades for each subject, and a transcript for each student.' Maintaining a transcript is especially important for students who may later re-enroll in public school, as § 6-15-504 requires homeschooled students re-enrolling in public school to submit a transcript and portfolio.

AR Code § 6-15-501 defines 'home school' as 'a school provided by a parent or legal guardian for his or her own child.' The DESE Fact Sheet confirms: 'There are no educational requirements for parents/guardians who provide a home school for their child(ren).' This applies equally to students with disabilities: 'There are no certification requirements for parents/guardians who teach their special needs child(ren).'

Arkansas Code § 6-18-702 requires that 'no child shall attend any public, private, or parochial school or day care facility in this state unless the child has been immunized.' Because homeschool students operate outside this school attendance framework under § 6-15-501 et seq., the school immunization requirement does not apply to them. Medical and religious exemptions are available for children who do attend covered schools. Families should be aware that if a child re-enrolls in public school, immunization documentation may be required at that time.

AR Code § 6-15-507(a)(2) states: 'For purposes of this section, eligible children with disabilities identified under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, 20 U.S.C. § 1400 et seq., in home school settings shall be given the same consideration afforded to students in private school settings for special education services as provided for in that act.' The DESE Fact Sheet confirms: 'Home school students will be given the same consideration for special education services as private school students in Arkansas; this does not guarantee an individual student services. There are no certification requirements for parents/guardians who teach their special needs child(ren).'

AR Code § 6-15-503(a)(1)(B) requires the NOI to be filed 'five (5) school days before withdrawing the student from the local school district.' Under § 6-15-503(d)(1), 'No public school student shall be eligible for enrollment in a home school if the student is currently under disciplinary action for violation of any written school policy.' Under § 6-15-503(f), a student must return school-issued property before the five-day waiting period applies. Under § 6-15-504, re-enrollment requires submission of a transcript and portfolio; the public school must place the student at an equivalent or higher grade level. Under § 6-15-504(g), a homeschooled student who re-enrolls must attend classes for at least nine months before becoming eligible to graduate with a public school diploma.

AR Code § 6-18-201(a) requires that every person 'having custody or charge of a child five (5) years of age through seventeen (17) years of age' shall enroll the child in a public, private, parochial, or home school. The kindergarten waiver under § 6-18-201(a)(1)(A) allows parents to elect not to enroll a child who will not be six by the enrollment date, upon filing a signed waiver form. Compulsory attendance ends when a child receives a high school diploma (§ 6-18-201(a)(2)) or turns 18.

The DESE Fact Sheet confirms: 'No diploma is provided by school districts, education service cooperatives, or the Division of Elementary and Secondary Education for students enrolled in home school. Contact your curriculum provider or your state/local home school support group regarding information on obtaining a home school diploma.' Under AR Code § 6-15-504(g), any home school student re-enrolling in public school must attend in-person classes for at least nine months before becoming eligible to graduate with a public school diploma. School districts cannot deny awarding of course credits earned in a home school as long as proper records are produced under AR Code § 6-15-504.

AR Code § 6-15-509 (public school activities) requires the homeschooled student to notify the principal in writing, and to demonstrate academic eligibility by scoring at least the 30th percentile on the Stanford Achievement Test (SAT-10) or another nationally recognized norm-referenced test within the previous 12 months, or a minimum score on a State Board-approved test. Under § 6-15-509(h), a student who withdrew from an AAA member school to homeschool 'shall not participate in an interscholastic activity in the resident school district for a minimum of three hundred sixty-five (365) days after the student withdraws.' Under § 6-15-510, participation at private schools has a 25-mile radius residency requirement and similar academic eligibility standards. The DESE Fact Sheet notes: 'In some instances, there is a 365-day waiting period for a child who enrolls in home school before they can compete in interscholastic activities.'