Charter schools in Arkansas
102 open public charter schools in the 2025-26 federal directory, about 42,112 students in 2024-25.
Public charter schools (tuition-free)
Charter schools by town
Each town page lists its own charter schools and the others within 15 miles.
- Little Rock (25)
- Rogers (14)
- Pine Bluff (7)
- North Little Rock (5)
- Fayetteville (4)
- Fort Smith (4)
- Springdale (4)
- Maumelle (3)
- Batesville (2)
- Bentonville (2)
- Blytheville (2)
- Cave City (2)
- Cherry Valley (2)
- Hot Springs (2)
- Jacksonville (2)
- Mountain Home (2)
- Mountainburg (2)
- Southside (2)
- Bauxite (1)
- Cabot (1)
- Garfield (1)
- Prairie Grove (1)
- Scott (1)
- Sherwood (1)
- Vilonia (1)
Online charter schools in Arkansas (8)
These schools told the federal survey that most or all of their teaching is online (2024-25). Their address is an office; ask each one which parts of Arkansas it enrolls from.
| Charter school | Grades | Students (2024-25) | Per teacher | Town | Phone |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arkansas Connections Academy HighFully online | K-12 | 4,575 | 39.2 | Bentonville | (501) 386-3419 |
| Arkansas Virtual Academy High SchoolFully online | 9-12 | 2,567 | 12.2 | Little Rock | (501) 664-4225 |
| Arkansas Virtual Academy ElementaryFully online | K-5 | 1,387 | 43.6 | Little Rock | (501) 664-4225 |
| Arkansas Virtual Academy Middle SchoolFully online | 6-8 | 1,315 | 30.2 | Little Rock | (501) 664-4225 |
| Fayetteville Virtual Academy a Dist Conversion Charter SchFully online | K-12 | 165 | 12.7 | Fayetteville | (479) 973-8676 |
| Fort Smith Virtual AcademyFully online | 6-12 | 106 | 8.5 | Fort Smith | (844) 989-3399 |
| Ischool Virtual Academy of ArkansasFully online | 7-12 | 16 | 3.8 | Rogers | (479) 600-9735 |
| Polk County Virtual AcademyFully online | 6-12 | 12 | 0.5 | Mena | (479) 394-1710 |
Other charter schools in Arkansas (8)
Schools in towns without a page of their own, by town.
| Charter school | Grades | Students (2024-25) | Per teacher | Town | Phone |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KIPP:delta Collegiate High School | 7-12 | 181 | 3.5 | Helena | (870) 338-8138 |
| Imboden Area Charter School | K-8 | 70 | 14 | Imboden | (870) 869-3015 |
| Lincoln High School | 9-12 | 338 | 5.9 | Lincoln | (479) 824-7310 |
| The Academies at Newport High School | 8-12 | not reported | Newport | (870) 523-1311 | |
| Caddo Academy | 7-12 | 237 | 9 | Norman | (870) 356-5701 |
| KIPP Delta Elementary Literacy Academy | PK-6 | 463 | 15.6 | West Helena | (870) 753-9800 |
| The Academies of West Memphis Charter School | 10-12 | 897 | 8.5 | West Memphis | (870) 735-3660 |
| Academies at Rivercrest High School | 7-12 | 351 | 5.8 | Wilson | (870) 655-8111 |
Who runs and charters them
Networks and districts with the most charter schools in Arkansas: LISA Academy (13), Friendship Aspire Academies Arkansas (8), Premier High Schools of Arkansas (8), College Preparatory Academies of Arkansas (6), Academics Plus Public Charter Schools (4), Haas Hall Academy (4), KIPP Delta Public Schools (4), Arkansas Lighthouse Charter Schools (3).
Charter authorizers named most often: State Board of Education (102), Charter Review Panel (102).
Names as the state reported them to the federal directory (2025-26).
Charter schools: how they work
- Public and free. NCES describes a public charter school as a publicly funded school, usually run by a group or organization under a contract (the charter) with the state, the district or another body. The federal definition says a charter school does not charge tuition.
- Families choose it. Under the same definition, a charter school is one parents choose to send their children to, and it admits students by lottery when more apply than it has room for.
- Its own rules, its own accountability. The charter frees the school from some state or local rules; in return it must meet the standards written in its charter. It is nonsectarian.
- No program badge. ChoiceFunded’s program badges and “schools that accept” lists cover private schools only. Charter schools are listed separately here, with no badge, and are never counted with private schools.
Sources: 20 U.S.C. 7221i (federal Charter Schools Program definitions); NCES, Condition of Education: Public Charter School Enrollment. Each state writes its own charter law, so ask the school how enrollment works there.
- Private schools in Arkansas (listed separately)
- What Arkansas pays toward private school
- Charter schools in every state
- Arkansas next to other states: charter and private school choice
School facts: U.S. Department of Education, Common Core of Data (2025-26 directory, 2024-25 enrollment and staff). Where our data comes from.