Frequently Asked Questions 2022-2023

Is the house I am considering buying or leasing located in the Bentonville Schools district? 
Zoning boundary lines do not always follow city boundary lines. For example, a home can be located in Rogers, but be zoned to attend Bentonville Schools. For verification, refer to your current Benton County real estate tax statement to verify your zoned school district.  

How can I find out which Bentonville school my house is zoned for 2022-2023?
Check our 2022-2023 School Attendance Zones.

My home is zoned for Bentonville Schools but I want to attend another district that my house is closer to instead.  Can I do that?
No, you must attend the zoned resident district based on your property address. There are only limited opportunities to enroll your children in a non-resident district: 

  1. If you want to attend Bentonville Schools but live outside the district boundaries or live inside the district boundaries and want to attend another Arkansas Public School, you must fill out an Application for School Choice Transfer through the provisions of Arkansas Statute 6-18-206, “Arkansas Public School of Choice Act of 2015”. A request for Application for Transfer to a Non-Resident District form must be submitted to the non-resident district. If you are wanting to attend Bentonville Schools, please submit your application to Student Services at:  500 Tiger Blvd, Bentonville AR 72712. Applications must be submitted by May 1st of each year for the following school year.      

  2. If you want a legal transfer out of Bentonville Schools to attend a neighboring district even though you are zoned for Bentonville, you must fill out a District to District Transfer Form which can be obtained at 500 Tiger Blvd and must be turned in by July 1 for the July Board meeting review or December 1 for the December Board meeting review. Those are the only times the District to District Transfer Form will be accepted for consideration. You must also check with the receiving district to ensure they will accept your student in for transfer and their Board meeting will coincide with the timing for the Bentonville Board meeting. Neighboring districts set their own timeline for hearing the District to District transfer requests which may not be the same as Bentonville.

Can I choose the school my child attends within the Bentonville District?
In the Bentonville School system, schools are assigned based on where a student lives. Attendance zones are adjusted when the school district opens new schools or the Board of Education deems there is a need for rezoning of the existing.

What if the zoned school for my child exceeds capacity?
Due to the rapid growth of the Bentonville and Northwest Arkansas region, some schools may exceed their capacity. Currently, students are overflowed to other Bentonville school locations to remain in compliance. Students are enrolled on a first come, first served basis and cannot be added to a wait list for a particular campus until the enrollment process has been completed for the student. Transportation will be provided by Bentonville Schools for students who are required to attend outside their attendance zone. Schools within the Bentonville Schools follow the same general curriculum and have the same class size with comparable equipment and facilities. The same programs are provided throughout the district to ensure a quality education at all the Bentonville Schools.

What are the required documents necessary to enroll my child?
The online enrollment form will need to be completed in full. Once submitted, it is active for three business days. The necessary documents needed to complete the enrollment process and to be taken into the registrar at the zoned school include:

  • Birth Certificate (State Issued only)

  • Up-to-date Immunization Records

  • Social Security Card

  • Proof of Residency

Acceptable proofs of residency are:

  • Two current utility bills (gas, water, or electric)

  • A signed rent or lease agreement and current utility bill

  • Current property real estate tax records and a current utility bill

A Resident Provider Affidavit is available to be completed at the Administration Building located at 500 Tiger Blvd, Bentonville. The same documents listed above are required for the Resident Provider, including a picture ID or driver’s license for both the Resident Provider and the Parent of the student. Cable bills, mortgage statement, phone bills, or personal property tax, etc. are not considered acceptable forms for proof of residency.

**PLEASE NOTE** If the above mentioned enrollment process has not been completed in full as outlined above, all submitted forms will automatically be rejected, will have to be resubmitted and run the risk of not securing a spot due to classes exceeding capacity.

If I am purchasing a home, but the construction will not be completed until a future date, can I enroll my child based on that address?
Bentonville Schools does allow parents to enroll based on a contract with a future completion date providing the estimated completion date is within three months of the enrollment date. An In Process Affidavit will need to be completed to use as the Proof of Residency for the enrollment process. This can be obtained at the Administration Building, located at 500 Tiger Blvd. A current signed contract and picture ID will be required to complete the form. Once you have moved into the new residence, you will need to follow up and provide the two current utility bills to the registrar at your child’s school to complete the process.

Can a family member or friend other than a parent or legal guardian enroll a child in Bentonville Schools?
No, only the parent or legal guardian is able to enroll a child. The parent’s name should be listed on the child’s birth certificate or another legal document establishing proof of custody or guardianship.  

How long will my child be on the wait list prior to being admitted to my zoned school?
Unfortunately, we cannot predict how long a child will remain on a wait list before being moved back over to their zoned school. There are many variables, based on how many people may move out of a given school which is hard to predict.  

What if I have more than one child to enroll into school and both are sent to an overflow school due to capacity?  What happens if one gets in before the other?
Every effort is made to keep siblings together. If a spot becomes available to move one sibling over, the parents would be contacted to see if they want to take that spot or keep the siblings together and wait until such time as both can move over together.