Bentonville Prepares Students for Success

Bentonville, and the entire region, value educational excellence and take pride in supporting positive scholastic outcomes for all students. Northwest Arkansas routinely leads the state in K-12 education at public, private and charter schools, while colleges and universities are ranked among the best in the nation. High-performing schools, modern facilities and technologies, and progressive programs and curriculums are designed to build on students’ strengths and increase their success beyond the classroom. From pre-K to pre-med, students have the educational opportunity and resources they need to succeed.

Public Schools

Bentonville Schools is the educational home to more than 18,000 students from Bentonville, Centerton, Cave Springs, Highfill, Vaughn, Little Flock and parts of Rogers and Bella Vista. Opportunity abounds on its 24 campuses. The size of the district affords students the foundation to realize their academic, artistic and athletic gifts in one of the hundreds of clubs and organizations while receiving a world-class education.

The district boasts a 93% graduation rate and offers 29 Advanced Placement courses at the high school level. An authorized International Baccalaureate World School is also available to high school students interested in a more rigorous academic experience supplemented with a network of peer programs around the globe. The district’s two high schools are regularly recognized as Arkansas state champions in tennis, cross country, dance, cheer, golf, bowling, band, wrestling, swim and dive, softball and track. The visual and performing arts program routinely garners national accolades for its music, theater and art programs.

The Ignite Professional Studies program and Career Studies coursework encourages students to immerse themselves in their career interests while providing real, relevant learning through internships across the business and medical industries. Students are at the forefront of technologies, including artificial intelligence, biomedical and biotechnology.

Every student in Bentonville Schools is given a Google Chromebook to use in the classroom and at home. Classrooms are equipped with the latest technology to keep children on track and safe while at school or online.

Aside from the district’s academic excellence, Bentonville Schools is also lauded for launching the Choose Love Movement in the city of Bentonville. Students, staff, city leaders and business influencers all aligned to Choose Love, in partnership with the Jesse Lewis Choose Love Movement. This social and emotional curriculum is taught in all schools, K-12, to facilitate personal development in the areas of compassion, courage, gratitude and forgiveness.

Students in nearby Centerton are served by Bentonville West High School and Centerton Gamble Elementary School. In 2020, Grimsley Junior High School opened for classes in Centerton.

East of Bentonville, the Pea Ridge School District serves more than 2,200 students in grades pre-K through 12 at six campuses. The new Pea Ridge High School, which opened in 2020, offers unique career pathway programs for students interested in animal science, computer science, culinary arts, education, healthcare management, marketing and logistics and plastic and metal fabrication.

Charter, Independent & Private Schools

Named after Iris Louise McPhetridge Thaden, a proud Arkansan and one of the greatest aviators of her time, Thaden School opened in Bentonville in 2017 and has been growing incrementally to serve 500 students in grades 6-12. Thaden’s pioneering and innovative spirit inspires the school's efforts to give students 'roots and wings' as they build strong foundations and soar to new heights in pursuit of their dreams.

Designed by nationally renowned architects, the campus is located in the downtown Market District, within walking distance from a variety of cultural and educational resources. Thaden School offers small classes where students discover joy in learning and cultivate their potential under the guidance of masterful educators recruited from all over the country. A challenging and innovative curriculum integrates the sciences and humanities through three signature programs: Meals, Reels and Wheels. Indoor and outdoor teaching spaces, hands-on programs for community engagement and athletics and physical education programs all build confidence and character.

The school’s Indexed Tuition program further enhances the quality of a Thaden education by creating a diverse learning community where many perspectives, talents and interests come together.

Thaden School is ranked the No. 1 independent school in Northwest Arkansas by Niche.com, and its first graduating class of 2020 are attending selective colleges and universities across the country including Carleton College, Georgia Institute of Technology, Pitzer College, the University of Arkansas Honors College, the University of Southern California and Wellesley College.

Arkansas Arts Academy in Rogers is an open-enrollment charter school that provides fine arts education to students grades K-12. The second oldest and one of the largest charter schools in the state, the academy combines a rigorous academic program with a curriculum focused on art, drama and music. The school partners with a number of arts and cultural institutions, including Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art.

Haas Hall Academy in Bentonville is an openenrollment charter school for grades 7-12 with an accelerated college preparatory curriculum. One of four campuses across Northwest Arkansas, Haas Hall provides an aggressive alternative to traditional learning in a small, personalized academic environment. U.S. News & World Report has ranked Haas Hall in Fayetteville the No. 1 public high school in Arkansas for a number of consecutive years. Located near the site of the future Walmart headquarters, Haas Hall Academy in Bentonville consistently has some of the highest student test scores in the state.

Founders Classical Academy is an openenrollment charter school serving grades K-12. In 2013, it was the first classical charter school in Arkansas, created as a result of a collaboration between ResponsiveEd and the Hillsdale College Barney Charter School Initiative. The academy’s mission is to provide students with a rigorous classical education in the liberal arts and sciences that cultivates intellectual excellence, wisdom and virtue.

Arkansas Connections Academy is a tuition-free online public school that serves students in grades K-12. Available throughout Arkansas, the academy gives students the flexibility to learn at home with an online curriculum that meets state education standards. It’s a tight-knit community geared at delivering a wellrounded student experience.

There are also a variety of private schools, both parochial and secular, including but not limited to: Walnut Farm Montessori School in Bentonville, St. Vincent de Paul Catholic School in Rogers, Shiloh Christian School – Pinnacle Campus in Rogers, and Life Way Christian School in Centerton.

Higher Education

Northwest Arkansas is home to the state’s flagship university, the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville. The University of Arkansas’ "students first" philosophy is a big reason why it is recognized as a Top-Tier National University, a Best Southeastern College and one of the 50 Best Public College Values.

The U of A is one of the nation’s top research universities, ranking in the top 2% of the country’s roughly 4,600 colleges and universities. Its 10 colleges offer 240 academic programs to approximately 31,000 students, hailing from all 50 states and 110 countries. Several of the colleges have notable or nationally ranked programs, including the Sam M. Walton College of Business, the Fay Jones School of Architecture and Design, the University of Arkansas School of Law, the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences and the College of Engineering.

Never before in the U of A’s history have its students and faculty been more academically accomplished, its facilities more sophisticated or its research efforts more inclusive. Accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, the University of Arkansas is taking its place among the nation’s great comprehensive universities.

The U of A’s Global Campus provides access to a wide range of professional educational opportunities for a wide spectrum of state, regional, national and international students. The campus is a collection of specialized units in Fayetteville and Bentonville that handle different phases of delivering education online and at a distance. The

Global Campus combines quality teaching with technology to give students flexible and robust academic options, backed by the university’s strong student support system.

The U of A’s Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) is a peer-led learning community for adults 50 and over. OLLI classes provide an affordable educational experience to members without the pressure of tests, grades or papers to write.

Bentonville-based NorthWest Arkansas Community College is a comprehensive two-year college offering more than 75 associate’s degrees and certificates in many academic areas. Serving more than 8,000 students, the college includes Brightwater: A Center for the Study of Food, the Shewmaker Center for Global Business Development and the Center for Health Professions.

John Brown University is a private college in Siloam Springs that serves students through its home campus and a satellite campus in Rogers. Since 1919, JBU has educated students in a distinctly Christian community, providing an academic, spiritual and professional foundation for world-impacting careers. Today, JBU is an educational leader offering traditional undergraduate degrees, graduate degrees, degree completion programs and online learning to students from across the globe.

Based in Springdale, Northwest Technical Institute offers postsecondary diploma programs for those entering

Educational Institutions

Bentonville Schools

500 Tiger Blvd.

Bentonville

(479) 254-5000 bentonvillek12.org

Pea Ridge School District

979 Weston St. Pea Ridge

(800) 451-0032 pearidgek12.com

Thaden School

800 S.E. C Street

Bentonville

(479) 268-5321 thadenschool.org

Arkansas Arts Academy

1100 W. Poplar St., Ste. A Rogers

(479) 631-2787 artsk12.org

Haas Hall Academy

2600 S.E. J St. Bentonville

(479) 966-4930 haashall.org

Founders Classical Academy

1302 Melissa Drive, #100

Bentonville (479) 717-9867 foundersclassical.com/ bentonville

Arkansas Connections Academy

1009 Beau Terre Drive, Bldg. O Bentonville (501) 386-3419 connectionsacademy.com

Walnut Farm Montessori School

4208 E. Central Ave.

Bentonville (479) 271-9424 walnutfarmmontessori.com

St. Vincent De Paul Catholic School

1315 W. Cypress St. Rogers (479) 636-4421 svdpschool.net

Shiloh Christian School Pinnacle Campus 5413 W. Pinnacle Point Drive Rogers (479) 715-8480 shilohsaints.org

Life Way Christian School 351 W. Centerton Blvd. Centerton (479) 795-9322 lwcsar.com

University of Arkansas 1125 W. Maple St. Fayetteville (479) 575-2000 uark.edu a recognized occupation, community education training and adult education classes.

Northwest Arkansas is also home to satellite campuses for a number of other colleges and universities including Harding University Northwest Arkansas in Rogers – part of the private Christian liberal arts university’s College of Education – offering programs in education and counseling. Bryan University in Rogers offers associate’s degree and career training programs while helping students form career connections in the area.

U of A Global Campus Bentonville 704 SE 5th Street Bentonville (855) 402-3300 globalcampus.uark.edu

U of A Osher Lifelong Learning Institute 211 E. Dickson St. Fayetteville (479) 575-4545 olli.uark.edu

Northwest Arkansas Community College 1 College Drive Bentonville (479) 636-9222 nwacc.edu

John Brown University 2000 W. University St. Siloam Springs (479) 524-9500 jbu.edu

Northwest Technical Institute 709 S. Old Missouri Road Springdale (479) 751-8824 nwti.edu

Harding University Northwest Arkansas 901 S. 52nd St. Rogers (479) 268-5812 harding.edu

Bryan University Rogers

3704 W. Walnut St. Rogers (479) 899-6644 bryanu.edu