Little Rock School District launches small, personalized Hall High after state approval

The Little Rock School District is opening a small, personalized Hall High School next academic year after securing approval from the state board and the charter authorization panel, district leaders said on the district's March 31 podcast.

"What we're doing at Hall is we're offering a personalized . . . education for our students," said Carlton Carlson McGee, principal of Hall High School. He said the model will let students who "work ahead" move into subsequent courses sooner, pursue internships or workplace opportunities, and access dual or concurrent enrollment so some students can begin college or trade-school work before graduation. "Students have the opportunity to graduate in three years or less," McGee said.

District officials framed Hall as a smaller-school option intended for families who prefer reduced class size and more individualized attention. McGee said the district obtained the necessary approvals to restructure staffing and programming for a smaller environment while keeping common high school activities such as homecoming and prom. He also said the campus will host related programs so students can share resources and access a broader set of offerings.

Administrators described a modest athletics program aligned with the school's size. "We have track and cross country . . . and we're offering basketball," McGee said, noting Hall recently won a 4A state basketball championship at the school that fields the program and congratulating coaches Coleman and Martin.

On the podcast, host Dr. Wright said parents have shown early interest: McGee reported "over 200 students signed up" and said the district is "pushing for 300" as an enrollment goal. The district plans open houses and online outreach to explain the model to families before the school year begins.

Leaders emphasized monitoring and iterative adjustments during the program's first year. "We're putting mechanisms in place for continual monitoring as we go along next year because there will be some things that need to be tweaked," McGee said.

Why it matters: The Hall model expands the district's options for students who benefit from smaller settings or accelerated pathways, offering multiple postsecondary routes (college, trade school or direct work). The district characterized the change as part of a broader strategy to increase student retention by providing more program choices.

What's next: Hall administrators said the school is open for enrollment and will hold information sessions. The district said the program operates under a five-year charter authorization and will be evaluated and refined in its early implementation phase.