The popular name may be called the title by some people:

The Arkansas Educational Rights Amendment of 2024 

Sometimes called a ballot summary, this is the information that appears on voter petitions and would appear on the ballot if the issue qualifies:

An amendment to Article 14 (Education) of the Arkansas Constitution of 1874, to be known as the “Arkansas Educational Rights Amendment of 2024,” to require identical academic standards and identical standards for accreditation, including assessments of students and schools based on such standards, for any school that receives State or local funds; to define “receives, or in receipt of, any State or local funds” to mean: (i) receipt by the school of any State or local funds, property, or tax credits to cover or defray, in whole or part, the costs of any student attending the school; or (ii) receipt by the student attending the school, or the student’s parents or guardians, of any State or local funds, property, or tax credits to cover or defray, in whole or in part, the costs of the student attending the school; or (iii) receipt by a school, a student attending the school, or the student’s parents or guardians, of financial assistance for the cost of the student attending the school that is funded, in whole or in part, by monetary contributions that qualify for a state tax credit under Arkansas law; to deny State or local funds to any non-public school that fails to meet the same academic standards and standards for accreditation or to meet the same assessment requirements based on such standards as public schools; to expand the State’s obligation to ever maintain a general, suitable, and efficient system of free public schools to include: (1) universal access to voluntary, early childhood education for students three (3) years old until they qualify for Kindergarten; (2) universal access to voluntary afterschool and summer programs necessary for the achievement of an adequate education; (3) assistance to children who are within 200% of the federal poverty line so that the qualifying children can achieve an adequate education and overcome the negative impact of poverty on education; and (4) services that fully meet the individualized needs of students with disabilities to allow them meaningful access to integrated education; to ensure that an adequate education means, without limitation, that every child educated in the school should develop sufficient: (1) oral and written communication skills to enable students to function in a complex and rapidly changing civilization; (2) knowledge of economic, social, and political systems to students to make informed choices; (3) understanding of governmental processes to students to understand the issues that affect their community, state, and nation; (4) self-knowledge and knowledge of their mental and physical wellness; (5) grounding in the arts to enable students to appreciate their cultural and historical heritage; (6) training or preparation for advanced training in either academic or vocational fields so as to enable children to choose and pursue life work intelligently; and (7) academic or vocational skills to enable public school students to compete favorably with their counterparts in surrounding states, in academics or in the job market; and to require the General Assembly to enact legislation to implement this amendment, including allocating funding necessary to fully implement this amendment.

Voters see the popular name and ballot title on Election Day. The full text of proposed amendments do not appear on the ballot.

Read the full text of the amendment as provided by the sponsor.

The Arkansas Attorney General is responsible for certifying that popular names and ballot titles are free from misleading information. Only after this certification can sponsors start collecting voter signatures.

Date Certified: March 1, 2024

Read the AG's Opinion

Sponsors must collect signatures from at least 90,704 Arkansas voters, with a certain percentage coming from at least 50 counties. The deadline to submit signatures is July 5, 2024.

Secretary of State's Initiatives and Referenda Handbook

A constitutional amendment, such as this proposal, would change the state's constitution, which dates back to 1874. Constitutional issues require a vote of the people to add, change, or remove.

A state law could be changed by the legislature in any legislative session.

For AR Kids

Ballot Question Committee Statement of Organization

To see the financial statements filed by Arkansas Citizens for Transparency, go to https://www.arkansasethics.com/ and click on "LO-BQC, BQC, AND LQC FILINGS"

Use the drop down menu to find the group's name. Doing this will reveal their filings with the Arkansas Ethics Commission.

Stronger Arkansas - Ballot Question Committee Statement of Organization

Family Council Action Committee of 2024 - Ballot Question Committee Statement of Organization

Arkansans for Students and Educators - Ballot Question Committee Statement of Organization

https://www.forarkids.org/