According to Arkansas Education Law, every parent or legal guardian of “a child five (5) years of age through seventeen (17) years of age on or before the date established in A.C.A. § 6-18-207 for the minimum age for enrollment in public school shall enroll the child in and ensure the attendance of the child at a public, private, or parochial school or provide a home school for the child” (A.C.A. § 6-18-201). Arkansas considers a “home school” to mean “a school provided by a parent or legal guardian for his or her own child” (A.C.A. § 6-15-501).

Based on A.C.A. § 6-15-503 of the Arkansas Education Law:

“Parents or legal guardians desiring to provide a home school for their children shall give written notice to the superintendent of their local school district of their intent to provide a home school for their children and agree that the parent or legal guardian is responsible for the education of his or her children during the time the parent or legal guardian provides a home school for the children:

•  at the beginning of each school year but no later than August 15, or
• five (5) school days before withdrawing the student from the local school district and at the beginning of each school year thereafter, or
• within thirty (30) calendar days of establishing residency within the school district.”

The notice of intent shall include:

• “The name, sex, date of birth, grade level, and name and address of the school last attended, if any, of each student involved;
• The mailing address and telephone number of the home school;
• The name of the parent or legal guardian providing the home school;
• A statement of plans to participate during the school year in public school interscholastic activities under A.C.A. § 6-15-509;
• A statement of plans to seek a high school equivalency diploma during the current school year; and
• The signature of the parent or legal guardian.”

Under certain conditions (A.C.A. § 6-18-232), a homeschooled child may be allowed to enroll in one or more courses at the public school or public charter school where the child resides. Homeschooled students may also be eligible to participate in distance learning through the Arkansas Distance Learning Development Program (A.C.A. § 6-47-404) or through the public school district or open-enrollment private school (A.C.A. § 6-47-406), and they may be eligible to participate in the Building Better Futures High School Program (A.C.A. § 6-41-803).