Arkansas governor signs computer science requirement bill

FILE – In this March 23, 2020 file photo, Gov. Asa Hutchinson, right, speaks in Little Rock, Ark. Hutchinson said Sunday, Feb. 21, 2021, he will not back former President Donald Trump if he runs for the White House in 2024, saying “it’s time” to move on to different voices in the Republican Party. (Staton Breidenthal/The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette via AP, File)

by: Associated Press

Posted: Mar 24, 2021 / 08:22 AM CDT

Updated: Mar 24, 2021 / 07:23 AM CDT

This is an archived article and the information in the article may be outdated. Please look at the time stamp on the story to see when it was last updated.

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Arkansas’ governor has signed into law legislation to require that high school students take a computer science course before graduating.

Gov. Asa Hutchinson on Tuesday signed the measure, which was part of his legislative agenda for this year’s session.

The requirement begins with the entering ninth grade class of the 2022-2023 school year.

A task force recommended the requirement last year. A 2015 measure Hutchinson signed into law required every public high school to offer computer science.