Haas Hall to open Fort Smith campus in August

Haas Hall Academy is wrapping up an almost $2 million renovation of former office space to open its fifth high school campus on the fourth floor of the Arkansas Colleges of Health Education (ACHE) Research Institute Health and Wellness Center in Fort Smith.

The location, in what was the former Golden Living/Beverly Enterprise Headquarters, located at 1000 Fianna Way in Fort Smith, will include a private entrance, including school drop-off, pick-up and parking areas. The school will also have a secure entrance/exit, elevator and stairwells located on the east end of the building.

Classes are set to begin in August 2023 with 350 students in grades 7-11. In the second year, the school could reach top enrollment of 500 students in grades 7-12. Dr. Martin Schoppmeyer Jr., Haas Hall founder and superintendent, said the start-up cost for the Fort Smith campus is estimated at $1.86 million.

Schoppmeyer said the school would initially hire 12 educators for the Fort Smith campus with the starting salary beginning at $50,000. He said teacher salaries also will be based on “experience and merit.” The campus would also have an administrator and “director of academic affairs” to provide operations support.

According to Haas Hall, in working with ACHE the high school students may observe and participate in health and science related research projects, and have access to “holistic health and wellness amenities and organizations” at the research 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, including at ACHE and ARCOM (Arkansas College of Osteopathic Medicine),” ACHE President and CEO Kyle Parker said in the Haas Hall statement.

Founded in 2004, Haas Hall is widely known for its advanced curriculum focused on preparing students 7-12 for college. The charter school’s mission statement notes that the school works to “provide an aggressive alternative to the traditional learning environment for scholars with high intensity of purpose seeking an aggressive, rigorous, college preparatory curriculum focusing in the engineering, technology, mathematics and science fields, enabling them to succeed at the nation’s prestigious universities and to become pillars of their communities.”

The academy has locations in Bentonville, Fayetteville, Rogers and Springdale and is approved for combined enrollment of 2,000 students.