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Committee advances two bills to ease school enrollment and record transfer for military families
Summary
Lawmakers passed cleanup and facilitation bills to clarify advanced enrollment, course assignment and records transfer for military children, including restoring a sentence removed from prior law and requiring receiving districts to enter courses on request.
Senator Jane English presented Senate Bill 559 and a companion house bill (15-45 referenced in testimony) to clarify and restore provisions of the Military Child School Transition Act. The bills aim to ensure receiving districts enter courses on request for incoming military students, authorize special-education staff to coordinate with sending districts, and provide guidance for Purple Star School recognition.
English said the bills change permissive language (“may”) to mandatory language (“shall”) in some sections so receiving districts are required to enter academic courses on request and to facilitate advanced enrollment for military families who have advance orders and need placement before arriving in Arkansas.
The Department of Education representative said the state participates actively in military-education coordination and that the bills align with existing practices used to smooth transitions. The committee moved and passed both bills on voice votes.
