District Seeks Grant for 200 Locker Room Sensors
Little Rock schools are requesting nearly $1 million in federal funds to comply with Arkansas's Eli's Law.
Updated on Nov. 13, 2026 in Secondary Education
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The Little Rock School District has applied for close to $1 million from the U.S. Department of Justice's Bureau of Justice Assistance to buy and install 200 security sensors in school locker rooms. The grant would cover 90% of the cost of the sensors and 100 notification signs.
Why it matters
The request responds to Act 908 of 2025, known as Eli's Law, which requires Arkansas public and charter schools to install audio recording devices in all locker rooms and changing rooms by the 2027-28 school year. Similar steps are underway elsewhere in the state, including a $121,981 contract approved by the Pulaski County Special School District.
The grant would cover 90% of installation costs, leaving the remaining 10% to the district, with the total cost of the project not specified in the source material. Whether the Department of Justice will approve the request has not yet been determined.
The players
Little Rock School District
The public school district serving Little Rock, Arkansas, which is seeking federal funds for locker room sensors.
Bureau of Justice Assistance
A component of the U.S. Department of Justice that administers federal grants to state and local criminal justice programs.
Pulaski County Special School District
A public school district in Pulaski County, Arkansas, that approved a $121,981 contract for locker room audio recording devices.
The details
The sensors can detect THC smoke, vaping, fighting and vandalism noise, and emergency words such as "help," and will notify building staff upon detecting vaping. Audio recordings must be kept for at least 90 days and no more than 12 months, except where wrongdoing is claimed, and district staff may access them when investigating specific incidents.
Timeline
2024: A bullying scandal involving the Quitman junior high football team prompted the legislation.
2025: Eli's Law (Act 908 of 2025) was passed.
2027-28 school year: Deadline for installing audio recording devices in all locker rooms.
Season Trajectory
The request is one of several local steps toward compliance with Eli's Law, which Arkansas passed in 2025 after a 2024 bullying scandal in Quitman. Districts across the state are now choosing between audio recording devices and other monitoring tools ahead of the 2027-28 deadline.
Little Rock families with students in secondary schools will see locker room monitoring introduced if the grant is approved and the sensors are installed. Students and parents should expect signage notifying them that devices are in use and clear rules on how recordings may be accessed.
The takeaway
Parents and students in Little Rock should watch for district notices about how locker room monitoring will work and how recordings can be requested. The 2027-28 deadline means these policies will reach every Arkansas secondary school in the coming years.
Further reading
Explore more on Secondary Education policy and school safety measures across Arkansas.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Northwest Arkansas Democrat Gazette.
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