HB1897 - Parental Choice Scholarship Program

• Establishes a scholarship program allowing Arkansas parents to direct their children to public or private elementary and secondary schools of their choice, with scholarships equal to 92% of the state's adequate funding amount.

• Scholarship funds follow eligible students to participating schools, including traditional public schools, charter schools, magnet schools, alternative schools, and private schools that meet accountability standards.

• Participating public schools must be approved by the Department of Education; private schools must comply with health/safety laws, conduct criminal background checks on staff, submit independent financial audits, and administer annual academic testing.

• Resident school districts must provide student records and transportation (if required by law or school is within 2 miles) to participating schools; scholarships are subtracted from the resident district's state funding.

• Program begins in 2014-2015 school year for school districts with 1,000+ average daily membership, initially covering grades 4-8 and special education students, with phased expansion to all K-12 grades by 2016-2017.