Intent to Homeschool Arkansas: How to File and What to Expect

Arkansas has a clearly defined homeschool process, and the notice of intent filing is the first mandatory step. Unlike some states where you can begin homeschooling immediately after sending a withdrawal letter, Arkansas requires you to file a written notice with your local school district before your homeschool is legally established. Understanding that sequence — withdraw, then file — and what must be in your notice keeps your family on the right side of compulsory attendance law from day one.

The Legal Foundation: Arkansas Code Annotated §6-15-501

Homeschooling in Arkansas is governed by the Home School Act, codified at Arkansas Code Annotated (ACA) §6-15-501 through §6-15-510. The act formally recognizes home instruction as a legal alternative to public school enrollment, provided parents comply with notice, hour, and testing requirements.

Arkansas has refined its homeschool law over the years, and the current framework is parent-friendly compared to high-regulation states — but it does have specific procedural requirements that cannot be skipped.

Compulsory School Age

Arkansas requires school attendance for children ages five through seventeen. This includes kindergarten, which some states treat as optional at age five. If your five-year-old has been enrolled in a public kindergarten program, you must formally withdraw them and file notice before homeschooling — you cannot simply not send them without documentation.

The compulsory attendance obligation ends when a child turns seventeen or completes high school, whichever comes first.

The Notice of Intent Requirement

Every family that intends to homeschool in Arkansas must file a written notice of intent with the superintendent of the local school district. This notice must be filed:

• By August 15 of the current school year for families beginning homeschooling at the start of the year
• Within 30 days of beginning home instruction for families withdrawing mid-year

The notice must be filed annually — it is not a one-time registration. Each year, you file a new notice by August 15 for the coming year.

What the Notice Must Include

Arkansas law requires the notice of intent to contain:

• The name and address of the parent or guardian
• The name and age of each child who will be homeschooled
• A statement of the parent's intent to provide home instruction

The notice does not require you to list your curriculum, justify your reasons for homeschooling, or provide qualifications. It is a notification, not an application for approval. The superintendent receives it, logs it, and that is generally the extent of district involvement in your program.

Withdrawing Your Child from an Arkansas Public School

If your child is currently enrolled in an Arkansas public school, the withdrawal process runs concurrently with the notice of intent filing:

Step 1: Send a written withdrawal letter to the school. Address it to the school principal or superintendent. State your child's name, grade, and the effective date of withdrawal. Explicitly state that you are withdrawing your child to begin home instruction under ACA §6-15-501. Send via certified mail or hand-deliver with a signed copy.

Step 2: File the notice of intent with the district superintendent. Within 30 days of beginning home instruction, file your notice with the local superintendent. In many districts, the same letter to the school covers both steps — you can address a single letter to the superintendent that serves as both a withdrawal notice and a notice of intent. Check with your specific district to confirm their preference, but a letter addressing both functions is commonly accepted.

Step 3: Keep your proof of filing. Retain copies of the withdrawal letter, the certified mail receipt or signed acknowledgment, and your notice of intent. These documents are your legal protection against truancy allegations.

Unlike states such as Missouri — where no state notice is required at all and the withdrawal letter to the school is legally sufficient to begin homeschooling — Arkansas requires the district-level filing before your homeschool is legally established. Do not begin homeschooling and file the notice a month later; file within 30 days of the day your child's home instruction actually begins.

The Instructional Requirements

Once your notice is filed, Arkansas law requires:

Minimum hours: Arkansas does not specify a minimum number of instructional hours per day or week the way some states do (Missouri mandates 1,000 hours annually). Arkansas instead requires that home instruction be conducted for a period of time "substantially equivalent" to the number of days required of public school students in the district. Arkansas public schools operate for a minimum of 178 days. Most homeschool families interpret this as conducting instruction on a comparable number of days, which works out to approximately 178 instructional days per year.

Required subjects: Arkansas law specifies that home instruction must cover: language arts/English, mathematics, social studies/history, and science. The law does not prescribe curriculum or teaching methods for these subjects — you choose your own approach.

Qualified instructor: The parent or guardian providing instruction must be the child's parent or legal guardian. There is no teacher certification requirement, but the instruction must be provided by a parent or guardian, not a hired instructor as the primary teacher (though tutors can supplement).

The Annual Testing Requirement

This is Arkansas's most significant compliance obligation and the one that catches families off guard: Arkansas requires annual standardized testing for all homeschooled students.

Under ACA §6-15-507, homeschool students must be tested annually using one of two options:

Option 1: A nationally standardized achievement test. The parent selects and administers (or arranges to administer) a nationally normed test such as the Iowa Assessments, Stanford Achievement Test, California Achievement Tests, or similar. The test is conducted at home or at a testing site of the parent's choosing.

Option 2: The state-administered assessment. The student takes the Arkansas state assessment at their local public school. This option gives the student a public school ID for testing purposes only; they remain homeschooled.

Results must be filed with the local school district superintendent. The results are for reporting purposes — there is no minimum score requirement that determines whether a student is allowed to continue homeschooling. A low score triggers notification, not loss of homeschool rights.

The testing must be completed and reported by June 1 of each school year.

Many Arkansas families use the Iowa Assessments (available through private testing services) or the Stanford Achievement Test (available through Seton Testing Services). These can be ordered online and administered at home.

What Arkansas Cannot Require

Within the framework of ACA §6-15-501 through §6-15-510, there are limits on district authority:

No curriculum approval: The district receives your notice but has no authority to approve or reject your curriculum. You are not required to submit lesson plans, textbook lists, or subject outlines to the district.

No home visits: Arkansas law does not authorize school district officials to conduct home visits or inspect your educational environment without your consent and a court order.

No minimum teacher qualifications beyond parental status: You do not need a degree or teaching certificate. The parent must be the primary instructor.

No portfolio submission: Unlike New York (which requires quarterly reports) or Massachusetts (which requires portfolio reviews), Arkansas only requires the notice of intent and the annual test results.

Private School Students

If your child is currently in an Arkansas private school, the withdrawal process is governed by your enrollment contract, not public school law. Review the contract for notice requirements, tuition liabilities, and transcript release policies. Arkansas law requires private schools to release transcripts to parents upon request once all financial obligations are met.

Your notice of intent for homeschooling goes to the public school superintendent of the district where you reside, regardless of whether your child previously attended a public or private school.

High School, Diplomas, and College Admissions

Arkansas does not issue state homeschool diplomas. Parents issue diplomas directly. Arkansas public universities — University of Arkansas, Arkansas State University, and others in the University of Arkansas system — accept homeschool applicants and typically require:

• A parent-issued transcript with courses, grades, and credit hours
• ACT or SAT scores (Arkansas is an ACT-heavy state)
• Sometimes an academic portfolio or additional documentation depending on the institution

The annual standardized testing requirement, which runs throughout a student's homeschool career, also provides a documented testing history that can supplement a parent-issued transcript for college admissions.

Comparing Arkansas to Missouri

If you are comparing Arkansas to Missouri — perhaps because you live near the border or are considering a move — the contrast in regulatory intensity is significant.

Missouri requires no notice of intent, no registration, no standardized testing, and no curriculum submission. You send a withdrawal letter to your child's school, begin homeschooling under RSMo §167.031, and your primary obligation is maintaining a 1,000-hour log, a portfolio of student work, and evaluation records. No government entity sees those records unless you are investigated for educational neglect and choose to show them.

Arkansas requires annual notice, annual standardized testing, and annual test result reporting to the district. It is still a manageable system, but it requires more ongoing administrative engagement than Missouri.

For Missouri families navigating the withdrawal process, the Missouri Legal Withdrawal Blueprint covers the full legal framework — including the withdrawal letter, the two statutory pathways under RSMo §167.031 and §167.042, the 1,000-hour requirement, and how to handle district pushback — in one complete guide.

And for a broader understanding of how notice of intent and letter of intent processes work across states, the post on homeschool letter of intent covers the core elements and what varies by state.

See more United States homeschool guides →