Corporal punishment
Effective Oct 13, 2025Ark. R. 2025-16 (eff. October 13, 2025)Arkansas Code § 6-11-105; Arkansas Code § 6-18-502; Arkansas Code § 6-18-503; Arkansas Code § 6-18-504
(a) A school district or open-enrollment public charter school that authorizes the use of corporal punishment in its discipline policy shall include provisions for administration of the punishment, including that it:
- (1) Be administered only for cause;
- (2) Be reasonable;
- (3) Follow warnings that the misbehavior will not be tolerated; and
- (4) Be administered by a teacher or a school administrator and only in the presence of a school administrator or his or her designee who shall be a teacher or an administrator employed by the school district.
(b) A school district or open-enrollment public charter school that authorizes use of corporal punishment shall not:
(1) Use corporal punishment on a child who is:
- (A) Intellectually disabled;
- (B) Nonambulatory;
- (C) Nonverbal; or
- (D) Autistic; or
(2) Include in its written student discipline policy a provision to allow the use of corporal punishment on a child who is:
- (A) Intellectually disabled;
- (B) Nonambulatory;
- (C) Nonverbal; or
- (D) Autistic.