FORT SMITH, Ark — Community School of the Arts has announced that the Arkansas Board of Education (ABE) approved the request to create a performing and visual arts charter high school in Fort Smith.
The Institute for the Creative Arts will open in fall 2024 with students entering grades 9 - 11, with grade 12 added in the fall of 2025. The school day will run from 8 a.m. - 4 p.m. with the day divided between academic and arts instruction.
As a public charter school, it is tuition-free and open to all students. The Institute will be housed in the new CSA Center for the Creative Arts facility located at 1101 Riverfront Drive. The new center will house not only the Institute but also the CSA after-school programs.
Founder and Executive Director of Community School of the Arts Dr. Rosilee Russell said, "We are so excited to be able to provide a special high school like this in Arkansas. When students get to pursue their passion, they excel in unimaginable ways which leads to great things in their future."
The school's mission is to utilize an intensive arts and academic curriculum to prepare students for higher education in the performing and visual arts industries.
The institute will combine a rigorous college preparatory academic program with pre-professional training in subjects such as music, theatre, dance, visual art, film, and culinary arts.
The school will also specialize in arts programs that are not typically offered in a traditional high school. ICA is designed to meet the need for in-depth arts training. Students will be immersed in one or more arts disciplines of their choice and spend several hours weekly training and honing their skills.
The core arts faculty will consist of professional musicians, actors, dancers, filmmakers, and artists who provide the critical link between ICA students and the professional arts world.
Academic instructors are highly trained in their field and will actively engage in preparing students for college and beyond. Students will generally spend half of their school day in academic instruction and half of their day in their arts focus area.
Board Chair for Community School of the Arts, Jeannie Cole said, "I am excited to help play a role in enhancing art education in the River Valley. This will be a game-changer in these student’s lives as they and the staff endeavor to transform the region into a beacon for the arts."
Studies have shown that there is nearly a 100% high school graduation rate in arts-focused schools, with over 90% of their students going to college on arts and academic scholarships.
ICA will open with arts programs in contemporary music including jazz and pop styles, music composition & technology, musical theatre, technical theatre, dance, and studies in visual art including digital art, animation, and gaming.
Enrollment will begin in January. Students interested in registering or finding out more about ICA can visit their website here.
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