HB1864
To Amend Provisions Of The Arkansas Code To Improve Efficiency In Student Instruction; And To Create A Standardized Flexible School Calendar System For Public Schools.
Last Action (March 19, 2025): Recommended for study in the Interim by the Committee on EDUCATION COMMITTEE- HOUSE
Sponsors
AI-Generated Summary
House Bill 1864 mandates a standardized, flexible school calendar system for Arkansas public schools and open-enrollment public charter schools beginning with the 2026-2027 school year. It ties the required number of annual instructional days to a school's performance rating, ranging from 160 days for 'A' rated schools to 178 days for 'F' rated schools. The bill establishes strict requirements for in-person instruction and mandates 40 minutes of daily recess for elementary school students. It also outlines procedures for handling emergency closures and requires districts to incorporate 30 hours of make-up instructional time into their calendars. Districts are required to publish their calendars online by July 1 annually and report relevant attendance data to the Division of Elementary and Secondary Education. The legislation aims to improve the efficiency of student instruction by creating a uniform structure for calendar management.
Potential Impact Analysis
Who Might Benefit?
Elementary school students would benefit from the guaranteed 40 minutes of daily recess and structured physical activity. The state education department and school administrators would benefit from the standardization of calendar reporting, which aims to provide clearer, more consistent data for oversight and accountability. Additionally, high-performing schools may benefit from the tiered system that allows for fewer required days of instruction based on their school ratings.
Who Might Suffer?
Schools with lower performance ratings ('D' or 'F') would be most significantly impacted, as they are required to operate for a higher number of instructional days (up to 178) compared to 'A' rated schools, potentially increasing operational costs and placing more strain on staff. School districts may face administrative burdens in reconfiguring their existing calendar systems and labor contracts to comply with the new mandatory instructional hour requirements and the specific reporting deadlines. Furthermore, teachers and staff in lower-performing districts may experience longer school years than their counterparts in higher-performing districts.
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