AR HB1831

Amends Arkansas Code § 6-23-306(6)(B) to allow open-enrollment public charter schools to use weighted lotteries in student admissions when necessary to comply with federal civil rights laws, Title IX, the Fourteenth Amendment, court orders, or desegregation requirements.

Expands weighted lottery eligibility to include six student categories: national school lunch students, English-language learners, students with disabilities, dependent-neglected juveniles, delinquent juveniles, and homeless youth (as defined in 42 U.S.C. § 11434a as of January 1, 2017).

Amends Arkansas Code § 6-23-306(14)(C) to apply the same weighted lottery provisions to a second section governing open-enrollment public charter school admissions policies.

Permits weighted lotteries to be used in student selection based on federal court orders or federal administrative orders enforcing Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, or the equal protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.