Public Schools:
New residents are often confused about
district boundary lines in central Arkansas. To find out the school attendance
zone for any residence in the area, call the appropriate school system's
district office and provide your home address. The district office
information is listed in the contact
listings.
All students must be registered at
their school by a parent or guardian. In the summer, schools are open
for registration in early August. According to state law, every child
between 5 and 17 years of age must enroll in public, private or parochial school
or receive home schooling. Kindergarten is now required for all 5
year olds unless parents file a signed waiver form with the district or a home
school intent form. To register, proof of address (current utility bill or sales
contract) must be presented, a birth certificate (or passport), withdrawal slip
and transcript or report card from school previously attended, an immunization
record and a social security card.
State law requires a child
to be five years old by 15 September of the school year to enter
kindergarten. To enter the first grade, they must be six years old by
1 October of the school year. State law requires that each child be
immunized against polio, diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, rubella and red measles
before entering school. A child transferring to another school must
submit a transcript and must have had a physical examination within the
year. The school term begins in late August and ends in early
June. Children will need a birth certificate, passport, shot record,
and social security number. School records are optional, as the
school will request them after the arrival of the student.
The school
year begins approximately the third week in August and ends approximately the
first week in June. These dates may vary somewhat depending on what
school district your child attends. The ending quarters for the
school year are October, January, March, & June. Many schools are
requiring uniforms, Pulaski county now requires uniforms for PK - 8th
grade. Check with the local school to find out what they are
requiring.
Free transportation is provided for elementary students who
live one mile or more from their assigned school and for secondary students who
live two miles or more from their assigned school. The Pulaski County
Special School District also provides free transportation for students attending
magnet schools, extended day programs and specialty schools. Parents
having questions about school bus transportation should contact their child's
principal.
Nutritious lunches are served daily in all
schools. Elementary and secondary schools serve U.S.D.A. Type A
lunches and where the economic level qualifies, lunches may be offered free or
at a reduced price. All elementary and secondary schools participate
in the breakfast program.
Report cards are sent home
quarterly. Parent/teacher conferences on the elementary level are
held twice during the year. The grading system per Arkansas law is as
follows:
Arkansas Grading System
| Scores |
Letter Grade |
| 90-100 |
A |
| 80-89 |
B |
| 70-79 |
C |
| 60-69 |
D |
| Below 59 |
F |
Private
Schools:
While Central Arkansas public schools offer a variety of
academic and extracurricular programs, there are those who prefer the atmosphere
found in private schools. There are a host of private and parochial
schools to be found in central Arkansas. The area's private schools
offer specialized programs for children of all ages, from pre-school through
high school. Some of the area's private school programs include those
for gifted children, as well as curriculum for children with learning
disabilities.
Many private schools in central Arkansas are monitored by
the Arkansas Nonpublic School Accrediting Association (ANSAA). ANSAA
is an official chapter of the National Federation of Nonpublic School
Accrediting Associations and is approved by the U.S. Office of
Education. In order to become accredited by ANSAA, schools must meet
personnel, equipment and other requirements. For a list of ANSAA
schools, or other information about area private schools, call (501)
803-3888.
Please visit contacts/links to check a list of resources for
this topic.