TO AMEND THE ARKANSAS OPPORTUNITY PUBLIC SCHOOL CHOICE ACT; TO AMEND THE PUBLIC SCHOOL CHOICE ACT OF 2015; AND TO ALLOW A STUDENT TO TRANSFER TO ANOTHER PUBLIC SCHOOL WITHIN HIS OR HER RESIDENT DISTRICT.

HB 1945, now Act 913, amends the Arkansas Opportunity Public School Choice Act and the Public School Choice Act of 2015, affecting students who wish to transfer to a different public school. The bill modifies the conditions under which a school district can claim a "lack of capacity" to deny a student transfer application. Specifically, a district may claim lack of capacity if a nonresident school has reached its maximum student-to-teacher ratio or if 95% or more of seats at a specific grade level are filled. Additionally, a district may only claim lack of capacity if it has reached at least 90% of the maximum authorized student population in a program, class, grade level, or building. The bill also allows students to transfer to another public school within their resident district.