To Allow A Public High School To Require An Enrolled Student To Earn One Unit Of Credit In A Computer Science Or Computer Science-related Career And Technical Education Course In Order To Graduate.
Summary
HB1825 amends Arkansas’s Computer Science Education Advancement Act of 2021 to give public high schools the option to require students to complete one unit of credit in a Department of Education-approved computer science course or a computer science-related career and technical education course before graduating. The bill changes the existing statewide requirement from mandatory language to permissive language, allowing schools to adopt the credit requirement rather than imposing it on all students statewide.
The bill applies beginning with the entering ninth-grade class of 2025-2026, replacing the prior reference to the 2022-2023 entering class. In practical terms, it preserves computer science as a graduation pathway while shifting implementation authority to individual public high schools, which may use the requirement to strengthen STEM and workforce preparation programs.
Impact
HB1825 would amend Arkansas Code § 6-16-152(b)(1) to make the one-unit computer science graduation requirement optional for public high schools instead of universally required for students statewide. This affects public high school graduation policies, local school district course planning, and student credit requirements, while continuing to recognize approved computer science and computer science-related career and technical education courses as qualifying options.
Sentiment
Based on the bill text and the absence of recorded committee discussion or votes in the provided materials, the bill appears to be framed as a policy flexibility measure rather than a controversial overhaul. Its stated purpose suggests support for computer science education and career readiness, with the likely general sentiment favoring local control for schools that want to adopt the requirement. No recorded opposition or amendment debate is available in the provided context.
Contention
The main point of contention is the shift from a statewide student graduation requirement to a school-level option. Supporters would likely view this as giving public high schools flexibility to tailor graduation standards to local needs and resources, while critics may worry it weakens consistent access to computer science education across Arkansas or creates uneven graduation expectations among districts. Because no committee transcript or vote record was provided, no specific legislators or stakeholder groups are identified as taking these positions.