APPLICATION FOR SCHOOL CHOICE TRANSFER

(Deadline for submission is May 1, unless the student is eligible for School Choice for Military Families)

TYPE OF SCHOOL CHOICE TRANSFER REQUESTED

Public School Choice Act of 2015  Opportunity School Choice Act 

NOTE: Applications for the Public School Choice Act of 2015 must be sent to the resident and nonresident

districts. Applications for the Opportunity School Choice Act must be sent to the resident district, the

nonresident district, and the Division of Elementary and Secondary Education.

If you are unsure which type of school choice best applies, please review the FAQ following this form for

information about the different types of school choice that may be available to your student.

SIBLING INFORMATION

If applying for a transfer under the Public School Choice Act, does the applicant have a sibling or step-sibling

already attending the nonresident district listed in this application pursuant to the Public School Choice Act?

If so, please list:

APPLICANT INFORMATION

Student Name: Grade:

Student Date of Birth: Gender: Male  Female 

Is the applicant currently expelled? Yes  No 

MILITARY FAMILY INFORMATION

Does the applicant have a parent or guardian who is an active-duty member of the military who has been

transferred to and resides on a military base? If so, please state the date of the parent’s or guardian’s arrival on

the military base:

NOTE: In order to take advantage of school choice options available to military families who have recently

transferred to a military base, you must submit military transfer orders and proof of residency on the military

base to the resident and nonresident school districts.

RACE OR ETHNIC ORIGIN (CHECK ONE)

This information is collected for data reporting purposes only, pursuant to Ark. Code Ann. §6-18-227(f)(2)(B).

2 or More Races  Asian  African-American 

Hispanic  Native American/  Native Hawaiian/ 

Native Alaskan Pacific Islander

White 

RESIDENT SCHOOL AND SCHOOL DISTRICT OF APPLICANT

District and School Name: County Name:

Address:

Phone:

NONRESIDENT SCHOOL/SCHOOL DISTRICT APPLICANT WISHES TO ATTEND

District and School Name: County Name:

Address:

Phone:

PARENT OR GUARDIAN INFORMATION

Name: Home Phone:

Address: Work Phone:

Parent/Guardian Signature Date:

DISTRICT USE ONLY

Date and Time Received by Nonresident District:

Date and Time Received by Resident District:

Resident District LEA #:

Nonresident District LEA#:

Student’s State Identification #:

Application: Accepted  Rejected 

Reason for Rejection (If Applicable):

Date Notification Sent to Resident District and Parent/Guardian of Applicant:

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What are the differences between Public School Choice and Opportunity School Choice?

Public School Choice

Opportunity School Choice

Law

Ark. Code Ann. §6-18-1901

et seq.

Ark. Code Ann. §6-18-227

Eligibility

Any student may apply for a

Public School Choice transfer

from the resident district to a

district in which s/he does not

reside unless one of the

districts involved has claimed

an exemption from

participation in school choice

pursuant to an active federal

desegregation order.

Students cannot use Public

School Choice to transfer to a

different school within their

resident district.

A student may only use

Opportunity School Choice:

• To transfer from a public

school that has a rating of

“F” to a school that does not

have a rating of “F” under

Ark. Code Ann. §§6-15-

2105 and 6-15-2106; or

• To transfer from a school

district that has been

classified as a school district

in need of Level 5-intensive

support to a school district

not classified in need of

Level 5-intensive support

under Ark. Code Ann. §§6-

15-2913 or 6-15-2915.

Lack of Capacity

A school district lacks

capacity when it has reached

at least 90% of the maximum

authorized student population

in a program, class, grade

level, or school building.

A school or district lacks

capacity when it has reached at

least 95% of the maximum

authorized student population in

a program, class, grade level, or

school building.

Priority for Siblings

Yes

Deadline to Apply

May 1

What is “the Division” or “DESE”?

These terms refer to the Arkansas Department of Education Division of Elementary and

Secondary Education.

What does “lack of capacity” mean?

“Lack of capacity” means a district does not have space for a student because the district has

reached at least at least 90% in the case of Public School Choice or at least 95% in the case of

Opportunity School Choice of the maximum number of students allowed in a program, class,

grade level, or school building. This is based on the student to teacher ratios set in the DESE

Rules Governing Class Size and Teaching Load.

What is my “resident district” or “nonresident district” for school choice?

The resident district is the traditional public school district your student is assigned to attend

based on where you live. The nonresident district is the district in which your family does not

live. School choice is the process of requesting a transfer for your student from the district in

which you live to a district in which you do not live.

What is the difference between an interdistrict transfer and an intradistrict transfer?

An interdistrict transfer is between two different school districts. An intradistrict transfer means

a transfer between two schools within the same school district.

How do I find out if my school has a letter grade of “F” or my district is in need of Level 5-

intensive support?

School letter grades are available on the Division’s My School Info website at

https://myschoolinfo.arkansas.gov. Districts that are classified as in need of Level 5-intensive

support are required to notify parents of this status and of the availability of the Opportunity

School Choice option. Families may also find this information by contacting their resident

district or by contacting the Division at the number listed at the end of this FAQ.

Can I apply for both types of school choice transfers in the same year?

Yes, if your student meets the eligibility requirements for both types of school choice. Your

application for Public School Choice must be sent to both your resident and nonresident districts.

Opportunity School Choice applications must be sent to both the resident and nonresident

districts, but also must be sent to the Division of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE)

at the address below:

Office of the Commissioner

ATTN: Opportunity School Choice

Four Capitol Mall

Little Rock, AR 72201

Why is gender and race/ethnicity information collected on this form?

Information about a student’s gender, race, or ethnicity is collected for data reporting purposes.

The data is reported annually to the House and Senate Education Committees, as required by

Ark. Code Ann. §6-18-227(f)(2)(B). This information cannot be used by districts in deciding

whether to accept or reject an application.

Can a district deny my application for school choice?

Yes. A district may deny an application if the district has reached capacity, if the district has

claimed a conflict with participation in school choice due to an active federal desegregation court

order, or in the case of Public School Choice, if the student’s resident district has reached its net

maximum limit on school choice transfers. The net maximum limit on Public School Choice

transfers is set at 3% of the student population of a district. Students who are denied a Public

School Choice transfer due to the numerical net maximum limit retain priority for a transfer until

July 1 and are reconsidered when the resident district is no longer at the numerical net maximum

limit.

A district may not deny an application for school choice based on an applicant’s previous

academic achievement, athletic or extracurricular ability, handicapping conditions, English

proficiency level, or previous disciplinary proceedings, with the exception of an expulsion from

another district.

For more information, see the DESE Rules Governing Public School Choice. The Rules can be

found on the Division website at http://dese.ade.arkansas.gov/divisions/legal/rules/current or by

contacting the Division at the number listed at the end of this FAQ document.

What does “currently expelled” mean?

When a school district expels a student, the expulsion is for a set period of time. During that

period of time, the student is considered “currently expelled.” If a student is still within the time

period of his/her expulsion, a nonresident district may deny his/her application for school choice

transfer.

Is there anything I can do if my application is denied?

Families may appeal a denial to the State Board of Education. The deadlines and procedures for

appealing are in the DESE Rules Governing Public School Choice. The Rules can be found on

the Division website at http://dese.ade.arkansas.gov/divisions/legal/rules/current.

If you feel the denial of your student’s application is discriminatory, please contact the Division

at the number listed at the end of this FAQ document.

Can I request a specific school?

Yes, but depending on the district’s available space, you may be offered placement at a different

school within the district of choice.

Opportunity School Choice allows a student to transfer to another district (an “interdistrict”

transfer) or another specific school which may be in the resident district (an “intradistrict”

transfer) or another district, so long as that school does not have a rating of “F” and the district is

not in need of Level 5-intensive support. Under Opportunity School Choice, you should list the

specific school you wish to attend. The district may be able to offer a different school placement

if it lacks capacity at the requested school of choice.

Under Public School Choice, the transfer must be to another district (interdistrict). Although you

may request a specific school, the district is not required to place you in the requested school.

Districts may deny a request for a specific school while still granting the Public School Choice

application for placement in a school not requested. Often, this is due to lack of capacity in the

requested school.

Can my district decide not to participate in school choice?

No, however some districts may claim a conflict with participation in school choice due to an

active federal desegregation court order or court approved plan. These districts must notify

DESE of this conflict annually. DESE reviews these requests and the relevant court orders and

sends a letter to the district. These letters can be found on the Division’s website at

http://dese.ade.arkansas.gov/divisions/legal/school-choice or by contacting the Division at the

number listed at the end of this FAQ document.

Are there special school choice opportunities available to students of military families?

The deadline to apply for school choice is May 1, but military families may apply for school

choice at any time during the year, so long as they meet the requirements below:

If a student has a parent or guardian who is an active duty member of the military and who has

been transferred to and resides on a military base, then the student’s parent or guardian may

submit a request for a school choice transfer under the Public School Choice Act of 2015 or the

Opportunity School Choice Act. The application must be filed within fifteen (15) days of the

parent’s or guardian’s arrival on the military base. The family must provide military transfer

orders and proof of residency on the military base to the districts along with the school choice

application.

Where can I find more information?

For more information, please see the DESE Rules Governing Public School Choice. The Rules

can be found on the Division website at http://dese.ade.arkansas.gov/divisions/legal/rules/current

or by calling the Division at (501) 683-0087.