Author: Donnie Sewell

The Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences and the Arts once again is the top public high school in Arkansas and as well as the top 1 percent of schools across the nation in the 2025 Niche.com rankings.

Niche.com is a website that provides in-depth profiles on thousands of colleges, K-12 districts and individual schools across the nation. Parents and students use Niche’s information to find the right school for them. It released its 2025 rankings on Sept. 27.

For the third straight year, ASMSA is No. 1 on the website’s Best Public High Schools in Arkansas list. The school is also rated as top in the state in Niche.com’s Best College Prep Public High Schools in Arkansas and Best High Schools for STEM in Arkansas lists.

The school is No. 31 out of more than 20,700 public high schools included in the website’s national rankings, improving 15 spots from the 2024 edition. It is the only public high school in Arkansas to be ranked in the top 150 nationally.

ASMSA earned an A-plus Overall Niche Grade as well as A-plus grades in the individual categories of Academics, Teachers, College Prep, Resources and Facilities, and Clubs and Activities. To view ASMSA’s profile, visit https://asmsa.me/nicheprofile.

“While national rankings are always exciting, what brings me joy about this year's results from Niche.com is that the foundation of their analysis is student, family, and alumni satisfaction with their ASMSA experience and the way we position young Arkansans for success in college and careers,” said Executive Director Corey Alderdice. “Moreso than any number, that speaks volumes about the dedication of our faculty and staff.”

ASMSA is a public, residential school for talented and highly motivated students in the 10^th through 12^th grades who have an interest and aptitude for mathematics and science as well as a passion for creativity and the arts. ASMSA is the early college campus of the University of Arkansas System. Students from across Arkansas choose to attend ASMSA for advanced academic opportunities that may not be available at their local school.

“Our community of learning is honored by this recognition, but we'll strive to find new ways to grow while ensuring that our students thrive during this experience and beyond,” Alderdice said. “With Arkansas' new era of school choice at hand, we look forward to continuing to be the destination of choice for the state's most talented and motivated students.”

The school also ranked No. 12 in Niche’s Most Diverse Public High Schools in Arkansas. Niche uses demographic data to determine the ranking, including student racial diversity, gender diversity and percentage of economically disadvantaged students. About 40 percent of ASMSA students are from families who qualify for federal school menu programs, and about 41 percent identify as students of color.

“Gov. Sarah Sanders has regularly noted that Arkansas students deserve access to a quality education no matter their ZIP code, race or family income.  Even while seeking out students who must be ready for the demands of an early college experience, we're proud that ASMSA reflects the diversity of our state,” Alderdice said.

Grades, ratings and rankings for each school are determined by information provided to Niche by the U.S. Department of Education, self-reported information from each individual institution as well as reviews by students, parents and alumni of the school. To see a full list of the 2025 Best Public High Schools in Arkansas, visit https://www.niche.com/k12/search/best-public-high-schools/s/arkansas/.

The Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences and the Arts and CHI St. Vincent Hot Springs will hold a Farewell Ceremony for the former St. Joseph’s Hospital at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 12.

The former hospital complex is located on the school’s campus. The Farewell Ceremony is open to the public. It will be an opportunity for members of the Hot Springs, Garland County and ASMSA communities to celebrate and reflect on the hospital’s impact on their lives. The ceremony will feature speakers from CHI St. Vincent Hot Springs and ASMSA. It will be held in the ASMSA Student Center courtyard, which is located behind the school’s new Campus Administration Building at 106 Pine St. There will be no public tours of the hospital facility.

CHI St. Vincent Hot Springs used the hospital facility until 1991 when it moved to its current campus, according to a history section on the hospital’s website. Known then as St. Joesph’s Regional Health Center, the hospital had used the Whittington Avenue facility since its construction was completed in 1927, according to the website.

The City of Hot Springs later purchased the vacant property to offer it as a host site for the Arkansas School for Mathematics and Sciences, which was established by the Arkansas General Assembly in 1991. Hot Springs was selected as the host site for the school in May 1992 after a statewide search that included more than 50 applications from cities and towns across Arkansas. The hospital facility was leased to the state for the school’s use.

ASMSA welcomed its charter class of students in 1993. The school used portions of the hospital complex for student residential space, faculty and staff offices, and classrooms over the next 30 years.  The $18 million, 80,000-square-foot ASMSA Student Center opened in August 2012, allowing students and the campus dining facility to move into the new residential space.

A $5.5 million renovation of the hospital’s former convent and chapel that converted the buildings into additional residential and meeting space was completed in September 2022. Both buildings are named for Helen Selig, who helped lead Hot Springs’ site selection efforts and later served as Hot Springs mayor.

The completion of the $5.25 million Campus Administration Building in July allowed the school to shift faculty offices and classrooms from the hospital’s Pine Street wing to other facilities, including the Academic Building and the Creativity and Innovation Complex.

ASMSA plans to return possession of the hospital complex back to the city by the end of this year. The city will then begin the abatement process before eventual demolition of the remaining hospital complex, including the Cedar Street and Pine Street wings. Upon completion of the demolition process, the property will be returned to ASMSA for redevelopment.

For more information about the Farewell Ceremony, contact Ashley Bennett, ASMSA director of institutional advancement, at bennetta@asmsa.org or 501.622.5474.

The Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences and the Arts recently recognized educators from across the state with its annual Teacher Impact Award.

The Teacher Impact Award recognizes educators who helped shape and influence incoming students at ASMSA. Students nominated teachers who aided their growth both intellectually and emotionally. Every educator who was nominated received a certificate of recognition. A letter highlighting their recognition also was sent to each educator’s principal.

A committee of ASMSA staff members read through the recommendations to give further recognition to five educators from different regions within the state. These stand-out teachers received an additional gift.

Jordan Frost of Danville High School

Krista Flud of Harrison High School

Billy Reed of Rison High School

Ronnie Williams of LISA Academy North Middle-High School

Stephanie Hampton of Corning High School

Educators who received additional recognition this year include Krista Flud of Harrison High School, Jordan Frost of Danville High School, Stephanie Hampton of Corning High School, Billy Reed of Rison High School and Ronnie Williams of LISA Academy North Middle-High School in North Little Rock.

Flud is a mathematics teacher at Harrison High School. She was nominated for the award by Casey Williams, a junior from Harrison, who called Flud “the most impactful teacher and person in my entire experience as a student.” Flud was the person who told Williams about ASMSA, encouraged her to apply and served a champion for the school for her parents, Williams said.

“She has always believed in me more than anyone ever has and never forgets to tell me how much I can accomplish if I just put my mind to it,” Williams said. “She always advocated for me and fought to get me where I am today.”

Frost is an English, oral communications and English as a second language instructor at Danville High School. Riley Richardson, a junior from Belleville, nominated Frost.

“Mrs. Frost was the first teacher I told when I got into ASMSA,” Richardson said. “She always believed in me and pushed me to try my hardest. When I got in, I think she was more excited for me than even I was.”

Hampton, a science instructor at Corning High School, was nominated by Jade Espinosa, a junior from Corning. Espinosa said Hampton was supportive throughout her journey to becoming an ASMSA student, offering encouraging words to inspire Espinosa to achieve her goals and finalize her application for the school.

“Not only this, but she furthered my interest in the subject of science through her engaging way of teaching and infectious personality,” Espinosa said. “She is one of the reasons I was influenced and encouraged to dive deeper into studies that involve the medical field as well.”

Lilly Gray, a junior from Rison, nominated Reed, who was her English instructor for two years. She said Reed helped her and her classmates to expand their knowledge of writing and how to interpret text.

“He made sure to challenge me with each assignment and did not hold back on the critiques,” Gray said. “Within the two years I had Mr. Reed, he has changed how I will forever write my essays and how to break down a piece of text.”

Williams is an English teacher at LISA Academy North Middle-High School. Divina O’Dell, a sophomore from Cabot, said Williams offered her encouragement and support as when she decided to apply to ASMSA, “from believing in me to saying that I was a bright and creative student who could do whatever I put my mind to! I had Mr. Williams in seventh-grade, and we’ve never lost touch. He is an engaging teacher and put his all into teaching. I am so grateful he was my teacher.”

It probably wouldn’t be too surprising to hear that students chose to spend part of their summer break playing video games. For members of the Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences and the Arts League of Legends Esports team, where they spent time playing video games might be.

ASMSA placed second in the ‘Iolani Esports Invitational hosted by the ‘Iolani School in Honolulu, Hawaii. The contest featured high school esports teams from Hawaii and the mainland United States in a League of Legends exhibition contest on July 26-28. League of Legends is an online multiplayer fantasy battle game that uses team-based strategies.

Members of the ASMSA team included junior Tristan Henson of Maumelle, senior Gage Carr of Paris, senior Thor Seay of Hot Springs, senior Jonathan Tucker of Batesville, senior Lane De Foor of Hot Springs and 2024 graduate Andrew Nguyen of Sherwood.

The ‘Iolani Esports Invitational is a student-led tournament. Its goals include emphasizing community, fostering regional connections and nurturing teamwork, strategy and critical thinking skills while also promoting physical well-being.

The ‘Iolani School is a college preparatory school for students in kindergarten through 12^th grade in Honolulu. Teams who competed in the event were provided room and board on campus.

Four students at the Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences and the Arts have been named National Merit Scholarship Semifinalists.

The National Merit Scholarship Corp. announced the names of more than 16,000 Semifinalists in the 70^th annual National Merit Scholarship Program on Sept. 11. The students, all members of the Class of 2025, will have an opportunity to continue in the competition for 6,870 National Merit Scholarships worth nearly $26 million that will be offered next spring.

The ASMSA seniors named Semifinalists are:

• Eva Cummings of Fayetteville;
• Evan Fowlkes of Mountain View;
• Madeline Liachenko of Benton; and
• Kalyn You of Everton.

To be considered for the National Merit Scholarship Program, students take the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test as a junior. The nationwide pool of Semifinalists represents less than one percent of U.S. high school seniors. The number of Semifinalists in a state is proportional to the state’s percentage of the national total of anticipated graduating seniors.

Semifinalists must fulfill several requirements to advance to the Finalist standing, including a detailed scholarship application that includes information about a Semifinalist’s academic record, participation in school and community activities, demonstrated leadership abilities, employment, and honors and awards received.

Merit Scholar designees are selected on the basis of their skills, accomplishments and potential for success in rigorous college studies. The National Merit Scholarship Corp. is a not-for-profit organization that operates without government assistance. It was established in 1955 specifically to conduct the annual National Merit Scholarship Program.

National Merit Scholarship winners will be announced in batches beginning in late Spring 2025 and early summer 2025.

The Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences and the Arts Talent Identification Program will expand to include students from the sixth, seventh and eighth grades in its second year.

ASMSA-TIP provides gifted students, parents and educators with resources and guidance that are tailored to support a child’s educational, social and emotional development. Such programs empower students to reach their full potential while helping parents and educators make the best educational decisions for their students.

Seventh- and eighth-grade participants will receive a voucher to take the ACT as an “above-level” test, a standardized assessment that is designed for a higher grade level, as well as support leading up to taking the ACT, help interpreting ACT scores and identifying activities for talent development. All participants will receive monthly e-newsletters with specific content for gifted and talented students and their parents, access to webinar sessions with Gifted and Talented (GT) professionals, and access to a variety of in-person and virtual programming designed to enrich students’ learning and develop their talents.

This is the second year of the program. For the 2023-24 academic year, the program only included seventh-graders, but strong interest in it led ASMSA-TIP to accept sixth- and eighth-graders for the 2024-25 cohort. Registration for this year’s program is open at https://asmsa.me/asmsa-tipregistration24.

When Dr. Nathan Groot joined ASMSA’s music faculty as a string instructor and director of the school’s String Ensemble in August 2022, All-Region auditions were about two months away.

That’s not much time to prepare extensively for auditions with a new group of students who were as unfamiliar with his teaching methods as he was with their individual talents and abilities. Rehearsal and instruction time was a precious resource as well.

“Some of these excerpts are quite challenging and require a lot of explanation and guidance,” Groot said about the pieces chosen for junior and senior high All-Region and All-State auditions. “Most of the string students I have spoken with in Arkansas, at our school and elsewhere, have not had the opportunity to take weekly private lessons. Music lessons typically cost anywhere from $250-$400 per month if a student takes them each week, and many families just can’t afford it.”

The following is a message from ASMSA Executive Director Corey Alderdice shared with the campus community and institutional stakeholders.

August 23rd holds special meaning for ASMSA.  On August 23, 1993, students in the Charter Class began their first day of coursework and set this wonderful experiment into motion.  This time last year, we looked back at the legacy of so many who fought to shape this institution.  Today, I think it's essential that we use this occasion to look at what’s ahead for ASMSA.

Earlier this month, Hot Springs City Manager Bill Burrough shared that he expects next year's budget to include $4 million the Hot Springs Board of Directors reserved to bring down the former St. Joseph's Hospital per a 2010 agreement between the City and University of Arkansas System.  This agreement stemmed from a request by then-Gov. Mike Beebe for the community to reaffirm its commitment to the school’s success.  Both the decision in 2010 and the investment beginning in 2025 reinforces the city's commitment to the school and demonstrates the mutual benefits of having Arkansas’ premier public high school in downtown Hot Springs.

When it became clear in the mid-2000s that the hospital complex could no longer sustain the needs of students as a residential space, at no time did ASMSA consider relocating from Hot Springs. Instead, campus leadership began work on a facilities plan that would establish ASMSA as a cornerstone of Central Avenue with an eye to the future.  In the time since, ASMSA has invested more than $35 million in the redevelopment of the campus.  The opening of the new Campus Administration Building this month completed the first phase of our physical transformation.  On December 31st, we will officially return the hospital complex to the full ownership of the City of Hot Springs.

The recent news that demolition is expected to begin in 2025 has, understandably, left some members of the community upset about the hospital’s fate.  School officials studied the long term viability of the hospital across its first twenty years.  In 2015, we conducted a feasibility study to assess the potential of retaining the Cedar Street Wing which concluded such an effort was both logistically and cost prohibitive.  In 2019, ASMSA sought approval to restore the former Chapel and Convent into living and gathering spaces that conformed to the original vision for how they could fit into campus life.  While saving the full hospital was impractical, campus leadership believed it was necessary to preserve a portion of the structures that was within our capacity to do so.

Now that ASMSA has entered its fourth decade of educational excellence, it is critical that we begin taking active steps to redevelop the hospital’s footprint once the demolition and site rehabilitation are completed over the next few years. I’ve noted regularly that if ASMSA’s needs result in the loss of this small portion of Hot Springs’ history, then we must certainly ensure that something meaningful both to our school and the community at large takes its place.

Over the past year, we began discussions in earnest about what’s ahead.  The consensus among our internal and external stakeholders is that spaces that fulfill ASMSA’s legislated visual and performing arts mission along with additional housing that rises to the General Assembly’s vision of expanded school choice throughout Arkansas are both urgently needed and highly-deserving of further investment by the State.

By 2033 and ASMSA’s 40th anniversary celebration, our vision is that we will achieve at least another $25 million in capital investment in both the campus and a thriving downtown Hot Springs.  Doing so will require institutional, legislative, and private support; however, we will build on the last fifteen years of success to ensure our students, colleagues, and community have the resources they need to achieve their full potential.  Combining ASMSA’s efforts with the ongoing work by the City as well as Hot Springs Metro Partnership to redevelop the former Majestic Hotel site across Cedar Street provides a truly generational opportunity to define these spaces as showpieces at the end of one of the most iconic streets in America.

Hot Springs has a storied past. My sincere hope is that both our city and ASMSA’s future will be even brighter.  Let’s work together to make that possibility a reality.

Serving as dean of students at the Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences and the Arts has given Dr. Rheo Morris the opportunity to interact with students and their families from many different regions of Arkansas.

ASMSA has students from 53 Arkansas counties during the 2024-25 academic year. Many of the students come from smaller, rural communities that most Arkansans might not be able to locate on the state map. For Morris, that may be a bit easier this year after she recently completed the Leadership Arkansas program sponsored by the Arkansas State Chamber of Commerce/Associated Industries of Arkansas.

Morris was a member of the program’s Class XVIII, which graduated earlier this year. The nine-month program consists of nine multi-day sessions held in different locations throughout the state. The sessions feature Arkansas leaders who represents a wide geographic base and who have diverse backgrounds and vocations. Class XVIII included 53 participants.

“While traveling the state and learning about its industries, I also had a chance to identify some of the communities where my students reside,” Morris said. “Now, I get so excited when I can actually tell a student that I know where somewhere like Waldo is located. It also gives me an opportunity to share with them an industry near their hometown so they have more incentives to return to Arkansas if they leave for college.”

The experience allowed the Arkansas transplant to learn more about the state she now calls home. The program provided her and her cohort-mates the chance to learn facts about the state and its industries of which they were unaware.

“I had no idea I would graduate nine months later and be amazed at the number of industries within our state and the numerous opportunities for native Arkansans and transplants alike,’ she said. “For example, my favorite day included visiting Nucor-Yamato (a steel company in Blytheville) where I was astonished to learn of Arkansas’ massive footprint in the nation’s steel production.”

The Leadership Arkansas class is a great way to network with incredible individuals from across the state, Morris said. Participants were able to learn different approaches to problem-solving from different kinds of stakeholders and experiences.

Morris will use the knowledge and connections she gained through the program to help ASMSA students “plug into their local communities and have a reason to return to or stay in Arkansas after college because of all the opportunities available” within the state.