2012 Arkansas Code
Title 6 - Education
Subtitle 2 - Elementary And Secondary Education Generally
Chapter 18 - Students
Subchapter 5 - -- Discipline
§ 6-18-513 - Parental notification.

(a) A school or school district shall comply with subsection (b) of this section if the school or school district with respect to a student under the age of eighteen (18):

(1) Makes a report to any law enforcement agency concerning student misconduct;

(2) Grants law enforcement personnel other than a school resource officer acting in the normal course and scope of his or her assigned duties access to a student; or

(3) Knows that a student has been taken into custody by law enforcement personnel during the school day or while under school supervision.

(b) (1) The principal or, in the principal's absence, the principal's designee shall make a reasonable, good faith effort to notify the student's parent, legal guardian, or other person having lawful control of the student by court order or person acting in loco parentis listed on student enrollment forms of the occurrence of any of the events in subsection (a) of this section.

(2) The principal or the principal's designee shall notify the student's parent, legal guardian, or other person having lawful control of the student under an order of court or person acting in loco parentis that the student has been reported to, interviewed by, or taken into custody by law enforcement personnel.

(3) If the principal or the principal's designee is unable to reach the parent, he or she shall make a reasonable, good faith effort to get a message to the parent to call either the principal or the principal's designee and leave both a day and an after-hours telephone number.

(c) Notification required by subsection (b) of this section is not required if school personnel make a report or file a complaint based on suspected child maltreatment as required under § 12-18-401 et seq. or if a law enforcement officer, investigator of the Crimes Against Children Division of the Department of Arkansas State Police, or Department of Human Services investigator or personnel member interviews a student during the course of an investigation of suspected child maltreatment.

(d) (1) The principal or the principal's designee shall not provide notification under subsection (b) of this section if a request is made to interview a student during the course of an investigation of suspected child maltreatment and a parent, guardian, custodian, or person standing in loco parentis is named as an alleged offender.

(2) The investigator shall provide the school with documentation that notification to the parent, guardian, custodian, or person standing in loco parentis is prohibited.

(e) Subsection (d) of this section shall only apply to interview requests made by:

(1) A law enforcement officer;

(2) An investigator of the Crimes Against Children Division of the Department of Arkansas State Police; or

(3) An investigator or employee of the Department of Human Services.