FORT SMITH (KFSM) -- A charter school proposed in Fort Smith was approved by the Arkansas Department of Education's charter authorizing panel.
The Future School received a unanimous go-ahead on Oct. 14 and will now go before the full department of education board for final approval on November 12, according to Trish Flanagan, the founder of the school.
Flanagan is expecting the first group of 10th graders to begin August 2016 and eventually expand to 11th and 12th grade students. Each student will have a customized learning plan.
"Students that have other needs, maybe language needs or maybe different styles of delivery for certain classes is possible again through that personalization for every student," Flanagan said.
If a particular student is looking for an accelerated learning plan, they'll have that opportunity through Future School's partnership with the University of Arkansas Fort Smith.
"I know there`s charter schools in other locations, other states that I`m familiar with, and they seem to have a positive impact on the community," Bob Owens, parent said.
Owens said he would consider sending his children to the new school.
"I would definitely look at all the options, and try to figure out what`s best for our family and for the future of my children," he said.
The founder of Future School says any parent in the state of Arkansas will be able to register their children. By the school's third year, it will house 450 students.
"We will only have space for 150 10th graders in this first year, and so we encourage people to contact myself and the rest of our team to enroll and get an application as quickly as possible," Flanagan said.
The Future School website has also gone live, according to Flanagan. Registration information will be available there in a few weeks.