Public school district and open-enrollment charter school student discipline policies should be developed collaboratively with administrators, teachers, students, parents, and counselors. Policies must outline district expectations for student conduct, specify consequences for violations, and include required provisions such as:

Corporal Punishment (if authorized)
Policies must specify administration procedures, ensure punishment is reasonable and for cause, include warnings, and require supervision by a teacher or administrator. Corporal punishment may not be used on students who are intellectually disabled, non-ambulatory, nonverbal, or autistic.

Dress Code
Prohibit clothing that exposes underwear, buttocks, or the breast of a female while on school grounds or at school-sponsored activities, with exceptions for uniforms or costumes. Enforcement must be fair and nondiscriminatory.

Amendments and Revisions
Any changes to discipline policies must be developed and adopted in the same manner as the original policies and submitted to the Arkansas Division of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) within 30 days of the local board's approval of the change.

Filing Requirement and Website Posting
Under Arkansas Code § 6-18-503, public school districts and open-enrollment charter schools must file their written discipline policies with the DESE and post them on the public school district’s or open-enrollment charter school's website in accordance with Division's Rules Governing Website Postings. Failure to post these policies may result in withholding of all state aid until the required policies are made available.

For more information, please contact: