Haas Hall Eyes J Street Site In Bentonville

BENTONVILLE -- The city soon could get another high school only half a mile from Bentonville High.

Martin Schoppmeyer, founder and superintendent of Haas Hall Academy in Fayetteville, wants to open a second Haas Hall at 2600 S.E. J St. The charter school would open in August 2015 if the state approves the application Schoppmeyer submitted Monday.

At A Glance

Charter Schools

Charter schools are public schools operating without many regulations traditional schools must follow. Charters are granted for five years with re-authorization required for extension. There are two types of charter schools in Arkansas: open-enrollment and conversion.

Open-enrollment charters are run by a governmental entity, an institution of higher learning or a tax-exempt nonsectarian organization. They can draw students from anywhere in the state.

Conversion charters are traditional schools converted by a school district. They can draw students only from within the district boundaries.

Source: Staff Report

Schoppmeyer seeks permission to serve up to 500 students in grades seven through 12 at the Bentonville site. The facility hasn't been built yet.

Schoppmeyer has reached a tentative three-year lease on a 20,000-square-foot building to be built on the west side of J Street, about halfway between Southeast 22nd and Southeast 28th streets. The agreement is contingent upon the state approving Schoppmeyer's charter school application.

"This facility is actually being built as a warehouse, but we're going to turn it into a school," he said.

The new building can be constructed to fit the school's needs. That's preferable to retrofitting an old facility, Schoppmeyer said.

Schoppmeyer said he considered numerous sites in Benton County before deciding upon the J Street location. Earlier this year he said he was concentrating on empty space in a strip mall on Southeast Walton Boulevard near Krispy Kreme.

Crossland Construction will build the building. The land is being cleared now, said Joi Swanson, business development manager for Crossland. A starting date for construction hasn't been set, but the building should be done by next July, Swanson said.

The thought of being just down the street from Bentonville High School doesn't bother Schoppmeyer.

"It's certainly not a competition thing," Schoppmeyer said. "What it came down to was, what was the best facility for our needs. The proximity to the high school is an added bonus. It's just another option for a student in Benton County."

The Arkansas Department of Education's Charter Authorizing Panel is expected to make a decision on Schoppmeyer's application and others this fall.

Michael Poore, superintendent of the Bentonville School District, said Wednesday the district doesn't intend to oppose Haas Hall.

"We understand our community does seek choices and options, and those things are often very good," Poore said.

Bentonville High ranked third-best in the state and No. 580 in the nation on U.S. News & World Report's most recent ranking of high schools, Poore said. He also pointed out the high number of Advanced Placement and extracurricular activities available to Bentonville High students.

"I'm very proud of what our product is, and we think it's an excellent choice and option for students," Poore said. "That's what we hold on to."

More than 4,000 students attend Bentonville High School now. Projections have put enrollment as high as 4,800 for the 2015-16 school year, when Haas Hall's Bentonville school could open.

"Already, it's a pretty intense morning and afternoon on J Street," Poore said, referring to traffic around the high school.

Bentonville's West High School is expected to open in 2016 in Centerton. That should provide some traffic relief on J Street.

Haas Hall is an open-enrollment charter school that focuses on providing students a college preparatory curriculum. It originally opened in Farmington in 2004 with 13 students in grades 10 through 12. Since then the school has added eighth and ninth grades, grown to 320 students and moved to leased space on North College Avenue in Fayetteville.

U.S. News & World Report named Haas Hall the best high school in Arkansas and No. 137 in the nation.

Robert Maranto, an education professor at the University of Arkansas, said there's clearly a demand for what Haas Hall does. Every year, several hundred students apply for one of only a few dozen available spots. The Bentonville school will be full "the second it opens," he said.

Haas Hall is a good option for students who want to focus on academics in a small-school environment, but it's not for everyone, he said.

"If you're someone who wants a lot of choices, somebody who doesn't want to just have a couple hundred peers but a thousand peers, Haas Hall might not be for you. If you want a great football team, Haas Hall is not for you," Maranto said.

If the state approves Schoppmeyer's application, Haas Hall would become the second charter school in Bentonville. The other is Northwest Arkansas Classical Academy. The Classical Academy serves grades kindergarten through nine and plans to expand to the 12th grade.

Timm Petersen, headmaster of the Classical Academy, said he would welcome Haas Hall to town.

"I think it's great," Petersen said. "Education needs to be revamped anyway. It will raise all of our standards and create better opportunities for the community."

As an open-enrollment charter school, Haas Hall can draw students from anywhere in the state. Schoppmeyer indicated on his application for the Bentonville school most students would come from the Bentonville, Rogers, Gentry, Decatur, Gravette, Pea Ridge and Siloam Springs school districts.

NW News on 07/24/2014

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