Fort Smith Public School

What Fort Smith Public School does

Fort Smith Public Schools (FSPS) is a state-chartered K-12 public school district headquartered at 3205 Jenny Lind Road, Fort Smith, Arkansas, serving approximately 12,918 students across 24 schools — 17 elementary, 4 middle, and 2 high schools — plus specialized facilities including the Peak Innovation Center, Orr Learning Academy, Fort Smith Virtual Academy, and Fort Smith Adult Education Center. The district employs 1,934 full-time staff supplemented by 186 child nutrition workers, 215 transportation personnel, and a 17-officer police department with 356 years of combined law enforcement experience, supported by 86 National Board Certified Teachers. Revenue is funded through a statutory blend of local property tax millage, Arkansas state per-pupil aid (contingent on buildings exceeding a 500-student threshold), and federal grants (~$19.2 million annually across Title and special education programs), with a 2025-2026 total budget of $203.6 million of which $70.9 million is allocated to teacher salaries.

The core educational offering spans traditional classroom instruction alongside differentiated programs: the Peak Innovation Center at 5900 Painter Lane delivers hands-on career and technical education to students from 22 River Valley school districts; Advanced Placement and AP Capstone programs at Northside and Southside produced 885 students scoring 3+ on AP exams with a district ACT composite of 19.6; JROTC's Grizzly Battalion logged 4,000+ service learning hours; and 1,099 industry certifications were earned. Auxiliary services include the self-supporting SPICE after-school care program at $100/month per child across 7-8 elementary schools, free universal breakfast, 1,440,285 meals served in 2023-24, and a school-based health center. The technology stack is modest: an AudioEye-enabled accessible website on the Finalsite CMS, with no documented AI/ML, API, or proprietary software platform. Marketing and community engagement operate through social media, superintendent advisory councils, Partners in Education, and a $28,250 TV advertising contract spanning 10 months.

FSPS operates as a government entity governed by a seven-member elected Board of Education (five zoned, two at-large) under Arkansas state law, with no parent company, no venture capital ownership, and no subsidiaries. Recent strategic activity centers on a "rightsizing" restructuring — Carnall and Spradling elementary schools were closed in 2025-2026 after enrollment dropped well below the 500-student state funding threshold, following similar actions at Trusty (2023-2024) and Orr (2024-2025). The district is pursuing a $4.3M Department of Defense noise mitigation grant with the City of Fort Smith, remediating Peak Innovation Center construction defects (driving $2-5M in drainage work and contractor litigation), and transitioning to cashless ticketing in 2026-2027. Superintendent Martin Mahan assumed the role in April 2025 after a 25+ year internal career progression, and the district employs 24 named principals and directors across campuses and central administration.

Name

Fort Smith Public School

Legal name

Fort Smith Public Schools

Website

https://fortsmithschools.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1870

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Fort Smith Public Schools is a K-12 public school district operating 24 schools serving approximately 12,918 students in Fort Smith, Arkansas, funded by a $203.6M blend of local property taxes, state per-pupil aid, and federal grants, with the Peak Innovation Center providing regional career training to 22 districts.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

K-12 Public Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Public K–12 Combined Schools (EDAJAAAE)

Keywords

• K-12 public education
• Career technical education
• Adult education services
• Special education programs
• Early childhood education

Headquarters

HQ city

Fort Smith

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel

Revenue model

1. Local Tax Revenue: Property tax revenue and local millage funding district operations. Approved millage rate rollback in November 2025.
2. State Funding: State per-pupil funding based on enrollment exceeding 500-student threshold for state funding eligibility.
3. Federal Funds: Federal education funding including Title programs, special education, and other federal grants totaling approximately $19.2 million annually.
4. Child Nutrition Services: Meal program revenue from student breakfast and lunch sales. All students eat breakfast for free. 72% of students participate in free and reduced meal program.
5. After School Care (SPICE): Self-supporting childcare program at eight elementary schools, operating daily until 6:00 PM. Cost is $100 per child per month with $30 registration fee.
6. Activity Funds: Revenue from athletics and activities including ticket sales. District transitioning to cashless ticketing for 2026-2027 school year.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels11 records

Core offering

Fort Smith Public School is a K-12 public school district. The fundamental offering includes core academic instruction across elementary and secondary grade levels, career and technical education, adult education, and ancillary student services such as after-school care and health services. However, no source material with verifiable source IDs was supplied to detail specific programs, schools, or service lines.

Product overview

Fort Smith Public Schools operates a unified K-12 educational platform consisting of 24 schools: 17 elementary schools (PreK-5th grade), 4 middle schools (6th-8th grade), and 2 high schools (9th-12th grade), plus specialized programs. The core educational offering includes traditional classroom instruction alongside specialized programs such as the Peak Innovation Center (career-focused technical training), Fort Smith Virtual Academy (K-12 online learning), Orr Learning Academy (alternative education), and Fort Smith Adult Education Center. Supporting services include SPICE After School Care, Career & Technical Education pathways, AP courses, JROTC (Grizzly Battalion), and a School-Based Health Center. The district serves approximately 12,918 students and 1,934 full-time staff members across the Fort Smith, Arkansas area.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• 88-91% high school graduation rates at Northside and Southside
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Fort Smith Public LibrarycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 February 2026Library launched first satellite Summer Reading Program at Morrison Elementary. Library provides reading-tracking software, prizes, and programming support to keep students engaged with reading during summer months.
• University of Arkansas Fort Smith (UAFS)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 February 2026Co-host Industry Days at Peak Innovation Center with Chamber of Commerce, connecting students with regional employers and higher education pathways.
• Arkansas Colleges of Health Education (ACHE)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership where ACHE students from Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, and Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine programs collaborate with elementary students on creative projects. ACHE students sculpt clay monsters based on elementary students' artwork and descriptions, creating hands-on learning experiences for both groups.
• City of Fort SmithmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on noise mitigation grant program funded by U.S. Department of Defense. District qualifies for $4.3 million in funding with 10% local match. Locations selected: Carnall Elementary and Orr Learning Academy.
• Community Advisory Council MemberscoreOthersCouncil includes community leaders: Mayor George McGill (City of Fort Smith), Chancellor Terisa C. Riley (UAFS), Greg Murray (City of Barling), Grace Wilmath (Fort Smith Chamber of Commerce), and other regional business and civic leaders.
• Frontlines Color Guard & Drum Major CampminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAnnual camp where Northside Grizzly Guard, Southside Maverick Guard, and Northside Drum Majors receive training in technique, choreography, leadership skills, and individualized feedback. District students won multiple championships at the camp.
• Chamber of CommercecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner in hosting Industry Days at Peak Innovation Center, connecting regional employers with students and educational opportunities.

Scale indicators16 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Fayetteville Public Schools: Northwest Arkansas K-12 public district with university-adjacent demographics (University of Arkansas) and similar industry-certification and AP programming depth, providing a peer benchmark on advanced coursework and outcomes.
• Cabot School District: Arkansas K-12 public district of comparable enrollment scale. Closely resembles FSPS on revenue mix (state/local/federal) and operational complexity.
• Rogers Public Schools: Arkansas K-12 public district in the Northwest Arkansas region operating a comparable number of schools and students under the same state funding formulas and accountability requirements.
• Conway Public Schools: Mid-size Arkansas K-12 public district serving a similar student population in a comparable mid-sized metro. Used to benchmark per-pupil spending, CTE investment, and graduation outcomes.
• North Little Rock School District: Arkansas urban K-12 public district of similar scale with comparable free-and-reduced-lunch demographics and magnet/alternative program offerings.
• Springdale Public Schools: Large Arkansas K-12 public school district serving a similar metropolitan population in Northwest Arkansas. Comparable in scale, governance structure, and reliance on state per-pupil funding, making it the most direct functional peer.
• Bentonville Public Schools: Arkansas K-12 public district known for strong community partnerships and a robust Peak-like CTE / innovation programming model. Closely matches FSPS in operating model and student-services mix.

Regional players

• Jonesboro Public Schools: Mid-size Arkansas K-12 public district operating under the same state funding formulas and serving a regional Arkansas metro. Useful comparable for measuring district-scale operating leverage.
• Van Buren School District: Adjacent Arkansas K-12 public district directly bordering Fort Smith and feeds the same River Valley region. Regional neighbor for enrollment-transfer and shared CTE program analysis.

Broad incumbents

• Little Rock School District: State's largest K-12 public district; serves as the broad incumbent comparison point in Arkansas public K-12 governance and turnaround contexts. Useful benchmark for funding complexity and urban-district operations.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/fsschools
• YouTubevimeo.com/fsps
• Facebookfacebook.com/FortSmithPublicSchools
• Instagraminstagram.com/fortsmithschools
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/fort-smith-adult-education-ctr

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Fort Smith Public School