2033 Facilities Plan

Over the past fifteen years, the Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences and the Arts has transformed its Hot Springs campus into a vibrant residential community that reflects the spirit of innovation and excellence at the heart of its mission. Since the launch of the 2008 Master Plan and the completion of the Student Center in 2012, more than $42.5 million has been invested in new and renovated spaces that support student learning, creativity, and well-being. Each project has strengthened ASMSA’s role as a statewide leader in accelerated education.

The 2033 Facilities Plan builds on that foundation, charting a bold vision for the decade ahead. Through a comprehensive process of planning, analysis, and stakeholder engagement, the new plan outlines how ASMSA will continue to evolve to meet the needs of students, educators, and the broader Arkansas community. It imagines a campus that is not only more functional and sustainable but also more inspiring as a place where science, technology, engineering, the arts, and mathematics intersect in powerful and creative ways.

As ASMSA looks toward its 40th anniversary in 2033, this plan represents both a reflection of how far the campus has come and an invitation to imagine what comes next. The 2033 Facilities Plan is more than a roadmap: it’s a celebration of progress, partnership, and the bright future that lies ahead for ASMSA and the generations of scholars who will call this campus home.

Since its founding, ASMSA has embraced a vision that fuses intellectual rigor with creative exploration in a residential setting. Building upon the momentum of our 2025 Strategic Plan and 15 years of transformative campus development, ASMSA now turns its focus toward the future with a bold and student-centered 2033 Facilities Plan. This blueprint advances our mission by deepening the impact of our arts, wellness, and residential programs while positioning the institution for long-term growth into and beyond the school’s 40th anniversary.

ASMSA’s 2033 Facilities Plan envisions a campus that inspires innovation, fosters community, sparks creativity, and reflects the school’s statewide mission through purposeful design. By creating vibrant spaces for learning, wellness, the arts, and residential life, ASMSA will strengthen its role as a model for advanced education while serving as a catalyst for growth and connection in downtown Hot Springs.

The new Maintenance Building and Woodshop will provide auxialry spaces for campus operations, including offices for failities leadership as well as contract MPE service providers. The facility will be adjacent to other warehouse style storage buildings behind the residential zone of campus. The approximately 4,000 sq. ft. facility will also allocate space for a woodshop that supports the. visual arts and design programs on campus. While other arts classrooms were able to be relocated from the hospital complex, there is no current space in the Academic Building to address this specialized need. The project is on schedule for completion in spring 2026.

A $4.25 million Wellness Zone responds to the growing demand for spaces that promote physical, emotional, and social well-being. Alumni Hall, a new fitness center and activity space integrated into the daily rhythms of campus life, will support not only student wellness but also faculty and staff vitality. New Charter Field, an outdoor green space designed for play, relaxation, and quiet reflection will complete this zone, giving students a much-needed retreat in a high-achieving environment. The Board of Trustees is scheduled to approve the project in November 2025 with a goal of completion in mid-2028.

The Arts Zone represents a significant step forward in reinforcing ASMSA’s identity as a place where creative and intellectual expression intersect. Anchoring this zone is the proposed Center for the Arts with two distinct wings that can be constructed individually or in tandem based on funding. First is the Performing Arts Classroom Building, an acoustically engineered space that will elevate student performances, enhance visibility of the arts across campus, and open opportunities for community engagement. Complementing this space will be a new Visual Arts Building, a necessity following the transition out of the hospital complex. Together, these facilities will reflect the growth and sophistication of ASMSA’s arts programs, advancement of the legislated arts mission, and provide our students with the tools and environment they need to thrive creatively.

As a residential high school, the quality of students' living spaces is one of our top priorities. The ASMSA Student Center is students' home away from home for ten months out of the year. Built in 2012, this state-of-the-art facility houses all ASMSA students in suite-style rooms. All students have a roommate and share a bathroom with two additional students. Each room includes twin XL beds, desks, dressers, chairs, as well as a large closet. Furniture can be rearranged and beds bunked in order to maximize space. In addition to separate wings of the building for male and female students, the Student Center includes the Office of Student Life, security desk, Dolphin Bay Café, Sugg Library Research Center, club rooms, study lounges, and community spaces.

The $4.7 million, 20,000 square feet Creativity and Innovation Complex is the first new classroom building in the school's twenty-five year history. In addition to the Dan Fredinburg Technology Center, which replaces the spaces in the Pine Street Wing, the CIC also houses the Oaklawn Foundation Community Center, a flexible use space that allows all students and staff to meet together on campus. Computer science classrooms, a digital arts lab, entrepreneurship lab, D-Space, Maker Space, Morris Rehearsal Studio, network infrastructure, and faculty offices are located throughout.