FORT SMITH -- Haas Hall Academy will open its first campus in the River Valley starting in the 2023-2024 academic year.
The academy is an open-enrollment, public charter school that provides a STEAM-based college preparatory program for students in grades 7−12. STEAM stands for science, technology, engineering, arts and math.
This will be its fifth location. The other four Haas Hall campuses are in Fayetteville, Bentonville, Rogers and Springdale. It was founded in 2004 and currently enrolls about 1,300 students.
Haas Hall was recognized by U.S. News & World Report in April 2022 as the No. 3 charter school and the No. 13 high school in the nation, placing it among the top 1% of America's most challenging schools.
All four locations received a letter grade of A for the 2021-2022 academic year, a, a rank only 8% of all Arkansas schools achieved. The schools also ranked numbers one through four scholastically overall for high schools in the state, based on annual school accountability or ESSA scores.
"We are excited to share the Haas Hall experience and tradition of academic excellence with scholars and families in Fort Smith and surrounding communities in the River Valley of Arkansas," said Martin W. Schoppmeyer Jr., founder and superintendent of Haas Hall Academy. "We look forward to opening the doors in August and welcoming hundreds of students ready to prepare for success in post-secondary education and life beyond in a brand new learning environment."
Fort Smith School District had comparatively lower ESSA scores for its middle and high schools in 2021-2022, according to the state Department of Education's website. Darby Middle School, Kimmons Middle School and Northside High School received Ds, Southside High School received a C and Chaffin Middle School received an A.
Schoppmeyer said he doesn't expect students enrolling in Haas Hall from Fort Smith to impact the academy's scores.
"At Haas Hall Academy, academics are done by academic ability, not by grade level. This provides a seamless transition for our scholars," Schoppmeyer said.
The school will occupy the fourth floor of the Arkansas Colleges of Health Education Research Institute Health and Wellness Center at 1000 Fianna Way in Fort Smith. A private entrance, including school drop-off, pick-up and parking areas, will be on the east end of the building.
The collaboration with the college will allow Haas Hall students to observe and participate in a number of health- and science-related research projects, along with access to other holistic health and wellness amenities and organizations within the facility.
"Having an educational institution of Haas Hall Academy's caliber in our community is a real game changer. Our partnership will continue to help elevate research and scholastic opportunities locally, for middle or junior high school age students through college and graduate school studies," Kyle D. Parker, president and CEO of Arkansas Colleges of Health Education, said, referring to the Arkansas College of Osteopathic Medicine.
Kelly Barnett, Haas Hall's executive director of admissions and communications, said the school's goal is to fill 350 seats in the first year at the Fort Smith campus, or 70 students per grade.
The academy is still accepting waiting list applications for the 2023-2024 school year through their website, haashall.org.
Jocelyn Cordero holds up a picture of a car she's painting in her art class Friday at the Haas Hall campus in Rogers. Haas Hall is opening a Fort Smith campus. Visit nwaonline.com/photos for today's photo gallery. (River Valley Democrat-Gazette/Charlie Kaijo)
Arya Thorbole gives a presentation Friday in a 9th-grade English and literature class at the Haas Hall campus in Rogers. Haas Hall is opening a Fort Smith campus. Visit nwaonline.com/photos for today's photo gallery. (River Valley Democrat-Gazette/Charlie Kaijo)