House Bill 2439: An Act Prohibiting Mid-Semester Withdrawal from Public Schools for Homeschooling

Authors:
Representatives Cook, Blount, Dunn, Everett, Glidewell, Kidd, and Saunders

Summary:
This bill would prohibit parents from beginning homeschooling except at the start of the fall or spring semester. It would also prohibit a child under disciplinary action at the public school from being homeschooled. Additionally, this bill revises the testing provision for homeschool students, requiring a student who misses testing to provide documentation of compliance before homeschooling may be continued.

Status:

03/02/2005		Introduced and referred to House Education Committee
03/07/2005		Amended and engrossed
5/13/2005		Died in House Committee at Sine Die adjournment.

HSLDA's Position:
This bill was opposed.

Action Requested:
None at this time.

Background:
Arkansas law permits parents to begin homeschooling at the start of the fall or spring semester, but it also permits parents to withdraw a child from public school after giving 14 days notice to the local school district. House Bill 2439 would delete the provision in the law recognizing that parents may begin homeschooling during a semester. If this bill is enacted, Arkansas would become the only state in the nation prohibiting parents from beginning homeschooling at any time during the school year.

Arkansas is already the only state in the nation prohibiting parents from homeschooling a child under disciplinary action except in certain circumstances. House Bill 2439 would make the law even more restrictive. Presently, a student under disciplinary action in public school may be homeschooled under three conditions: (1) the superintendent or local school board chooses to allow the child to enroll in a homeschool; (2) the disciplinary action against the student is completed, or the school semester has ended, whichever occurs first; or (3) the student has been expelled from public school. House Bill 2439 would change this so that even if the superintendent, the local school board, and the parents thought homeschooling would be beneficial for a child under disciplinary action, it would be prohibited.

Other Resources

HSLDA's Legislative Toolbox

Mar-09-2005 — Arkansas--Calls Needed to Defeat Anti-Homeschool Bill

Bill Text   (requires Adobe Acrobat Reader)