(a) Every parent, guardian, or other person having control of any mentally normal minor over eight (8) years of age who is defective in hearing or sight to the extent that he or she cannot be benefited by instruction in the public schools shall be required to send such a minor to the Arkansas School for the Deaf or the Arkansas School for the Blind.

(b) The minor shall continue to attend the schools for a term of at least thirty-two (32) weeks each year until he or she has completed the course of instruction prescribed for the schools by the board of trustees or any other body or person designated by law to have control of the schools, respectively, or until he or she has been discharged by the superintendent of the school.

(c) The deaf or blind minor shall be exempt from attendance at the schools for any of the following reasons:

(1) Instruction by a private tutor or in another school approved by the board of trustees or any other body or person designated by law to have control of the schools for a time equal to that required by subsection (b) of this section;

(2) Physical incapacity for school work; or

(3) Any other reason deemed good and sufficient by the superintendent of the school with the approval of the board of trustees.

(d)

(1) Failure for a period of one (1) week within the school year to send such a minor to school shall constitute an offense.

(2) However, the time necessary for such a minor to travel from his or her home to Little Rock shall not be counted as time absent from school.

(e) Any person who induces or attempts to induce such deaf or blind minor to absent himself or herself from school or who employs or harbors such a minor unlawfully while the schools are in session shall be guilty of a violation and upon conviction shall be fined not less than twenty dollars ($20.00) nor more than fifty dollars ($50.00) for each offense.

(f) It shall be the duty of county boards, or the boards' designees, school attendance officers, prosecuting attorneys, and any special attendance officers appointed by the Arkansas School for the Deaf and the Arkansas School for the Blind as well as all peace officers to enforce the provisions of this section.

(g) Any parent, guardian, or other person in charge of such a minor or minors who fails or refuses to comply with the requirements of this section shall be guilty of a violation and upon conviction shall be fined not less than ten dollars ($10.00) nor more than fifty dollars ($50.00) for each offense.