2 charter high schools to open

2nd operator’s growth OK’d

Operators of Premier High Schools on Tuesday announced the Russellville and Fayetteville locations of two charter campuses that will open to students for the 202425 school year.

Dennis Felton Jr., state director of Premier High Schools & Virtual Learning, reported the locations to the state’s Charter Authorizing Panel at a panel meeting.

During the same meeting, the panel also approved a grade expansion for the new School for Advanced Studies Northwest Arkansas in Rogers.

Premier High Schools are charter schools under the Responsive Education Solutions charter management organization that is based in Texas.

The Arkansas high schools — currently operating in Little Rock, North Little Rock, Texarkana, Springdale and a virtual school — are designed for students who are on the verge or who have dropped out of traditional high schools before attaining a diploma.

The Russellville campus will be at 620 S. Arkansas Ave. The five-year lease calls for a monthly rent payment of $2,354.

The Fayetteville campus is planned for 2853 N. College Ave. The rent for the Fayetteville school will be $3,675 per month for three years, Felton said.

The panel — made up of state employees and other interested citizens — and the Arkansas Board of Education that has final say on charter school approval, had previously approved plans for Russellville and Fayetteville campuses but did not have exact locations at the time.

Additionally, the panel on Thursday endorsed a plan to place the Premier High School of North Little Rock — which has operated with its own state-issued charter or contract — under the multi-campus Premier High Schools of Arkansas charter. The multi-campus charter includes the Little Rock, Russellville, Fayetteville, Texarkana and online schools. The Springdale campus is operating under its own state-issued charter as a condition of one or more grants that school has received.

Regarding the School for Advanced Studies Northwest Arkansas, the state panel endorsed a proposal to expand the grades served from five through nine to five through 10 in its first year of operation, the 2024-25 school year.

School leaders DeAnna Rowe and Chris Ferguson said the early addition of the 10th grade was in response to requests by parents.

Over time, the school will offer grades grades five through 12.