Arkansas · School Health Forms

Arkansas school health form checklist:
every form you need for the 2026–2027 school year.

Arkansas requires immunization records, a physical exam, and vision/hearing screening documentation for school enrollment. Whether your child is starting kindergarten in Little Rock, entering middle school in Fayetteville, or transferring into a Bentonville district school, here is every form, where to get it, and when it's due — all cited to Arkansas law.

Last verified: September 1, 2026

The Checklist

1. Immunization records (Certificate of Immunization)

Under Ark. Code Ann. §6-18-702, every child entering an Arkansas public or private school must present a current Certificate of Immunization. The required vaccines include:

Kindergarten entry

DTaP — 5 doses (4 acceptable if 4th dose given at age 4+)
Polio (IPV) — 4 doses (3 acceptable if 3rd dose given at age 4+)
MMR — 2 doses
Hepatitis B — 3 doses
Varicella — 2 doses or physician-documented disease history
Hepatitis A — 2 doses

Grade 7 entry (additional requirements)

Tdap booster — 1 dose at age 11+
Meningococcal conjugate (MenACWY) — 1 dose

Where to get the Certificate of Immunization: Your child's pediatrician can print it, or you can access your child's record through the Arkansas Department of Health Immunization Program. The Arkansas WebIZ registry allows providers to print official certificates. (Source: ADH Immunization Program; Ark. Code Ann. §6-18-702, accessed Sept 1, 2026)

2. Physical exam

Arkansas requires a physical exam for kindergarten entry and for students new to the district. The exam must be performed by a licensed physician, APRN, or physician assistant. While state law does not mandate an annual physical for all grades, many individual districts (including Little Rock School District and Bentonville Schools) require a current exam for participation in athletics.

What the exam covers:

General physical health assessment
Vision and hearing screening
Documentation of allergies, chronic conditions, and medications
BMI screening (Arkansas Act 1220 requires annual BMI assessment for all public school students)

Schedule early: Book your child's physical at least 4 weeks before the first day of school. Arkansas pediatricians are especially busy in July and August. (Source: Arkansas DESE — Student Health Services; Arkansas Act 1220, accessed Sept 1, 2026)

3. Vision and hearing screening

Under Arkansas Act 967 (Ark. Code Ann. §6-18-1501), all children entering kindergarten, first grade, second grade, and eighth grade must have documented vision and hearing screening. The screening can be performed by:

A licensed physician or optometrist
The school nurse during the first semester (most Arkansas schools offer this)
A certified screening program (Arkansas Department of Health provides free screenings at local health units)

Tip: If your child's pediatrician performs vision/hearing screening at the same visit as the physical, make sure both are documented separately on the forms — schools track them independently. (Source: Arkansas DESE — Student Health Services; Ark. Code Ann. §6-18-1501, accessed Sept 1, 2026)

4. Dental screening (select grades)

Arkansas requires a dental screening for children entering kindergarten through grade 2 under state health services guidelines. The screening can be performed by a licensed dentist, and many Arkansas school districts partner with the Arkansas Department of Health's oral health program for free screenings.

(Source: ADH — Oral Health Program, accessed Sept 1, 2026)

5. Key deadlines and district-specific notes

Immunization records: Due before the first day of school. Arkansas does not allow unvaccinated children to attend without an approved exemption or active catch-up plan.
Physical exam: Most districts require it within 12 months of enrollment. Schedule before August for a fall start.
Transfer students: If you're moving to Arkansas from another state, your child's out-of-state immunization records must be entered into the Arkansas WebIZ registry through a local provider before the school will accept them.

Little Rock, Fayetteville, and Bentonville districts: Arkansas's largest districts all use online enrollment portals. Check the district website for form upload instructions and document deadlines — they vary by district. (Source: LRSD; Fayetteville Public Schools; Bentonville Schools, accessed Sept 1, 2026)

Family Stork

Every person gets one health story, and one private Family Stork email address every clinic already knows how to use.

Immunization certificates, physical exam forms, vision screenings, dental documentation — four different forms from three different providers, all due before the first day of school. Family Stork keeps every record in one place.

Give any Arkansas clinic your child's private @families.familystork.com address. They send vaccine records and visit summaries — the health timeline builds itself. When the school asks for the Certificate of Immunization, you open one app and hand over a complete record.

$99/year, or about $10/month. Start your child's record free →

Juggling logins across multiple hospital portals? See how Family Stork compares to MyChart — one email address vs. a different portal for every clinic.

Looking for a single place to keep your family's entire health story? Family health timeline software — from first heartbeat and beyond.

Exploring alternatives to juggling multiple portals? Best MyChart alternatives for families.

One health story. One email address every clinic already knows how to use.

Give any Arkansas clinic your child's private @familystork address. They send records; the timeline builds itself. No portal logins, no uploads, nothing for the clinic to learn.

Start your child's record — free

Arkansas school health form checklist:every form you need for the 2026–2027 school year.

1. Immunization records (Certificate of Immunization)

Kindergarten entry

Grade 7 entry (additional requirements)

2. Physical exam

3. Vision and hearing screening

4. Dental screening (select grades)

5. Key deadlines and district-specific notes

Every person gets one health story, and one private Family Stork email address every clinic already knows how to use.

One health story. One email address every clinic already knows how to use.

More Arkansas guides for parents

Arkansas school health form checklist:
every form you need for the 2026–2027 school year.