The Little Rock School District board voted Sept. 25 to end Hall High School’s traditional high‑school program after the 2025–26 school year and directed district administrators to develop a smaller, on‑campus hybrid 9–12 program to be added to the LRC 6–12 Virtual Academy. Board members also approved planning steps to relocate Hamilton Learning Academy to the Hall campus in 2026–27 and to move adult‑education programs there in 2027–28, and to explore possible childcare and community uses of the facility.

Superintendent Dr. Jamal Wright told the board the administration will return Oct. 30 with a detailed plan that includes staffing and budget estimates after more conversations with students, staff and neighborhood groups. "We've heard feedback from students, from staff and from members of the community," Wright said. "We want time to build what this will actually look like before we bring that recommendation with the financials back to the board."

The board majority approved the motion after several members described prolonged community meetings and noted the district’s current per‑pupil cost at the Hall campus. Wright’s presentation showed how the district is already operating an accelerated credit program (ACC) and the virtual academy out of the Hall building; combining similar on‑campus and virtual staffing models for about 150 students reduced a per‑pupil cost estimate in the slide materials, Wright said.

Public comment at multiple meetings in the previous week included students, parents and alumni who opposed closing a traditional high school and urged the board to preserve athletics and full extracurriculars. One student speaker from Hall West said he and classmates feared moving schools after repeated construction delays and school moves, and asked the board to consider students and staff in any decision.

Board members who supported the plan described it as a way to keep the physical campus in district use while offering an alternative program that could be more financially sustainable. "This is an opportunity to offer something unique that we currently don't offer," Director Rose said in the meeting. Several board members said they want the Hall site to remain an asset for nearby neighborhoods.

The board also approved a set of campus‑use directions: move Hamilton Learning Academy to the Hall campus for 2026–27; move all adult‑education programs to Hall beginning 2027–28; explore adding a 0–2 childcare option; explore community uses (auditorium, gym) at the Hall campus; and pause plans to use Scott Field and the Cirque Arena for Parkview Arts and Science Magnet High School pending additional analysis. The board directed administration to continue stakeholder engagement while finalizing any program model.

The vote authorized planning and set policy direction; it did not adopt final budgets or a firm opening enrollment for the hybrid program. Wright said eleventh and twelfth graders currently at Hall would be given early opportunities to select whether to remain in a hybrid option or enroll elsewhere in the district; the administration also expects to present a budgeted plan showing costs and proposed extracurricular offerings by Oct. 30.

Board members who opposed the motion said they were concerned it was rushed and that the district should do more to ensure the campus remains fully accessible and attractive to the community. Director Adams and a few others requested clearer cost comparisons and enrollment projections for the proposed hybrid model before a final decision. Director Rose read the record that he voted against the final motion. The board recorded the motion as approved and directed staff to return with the detailed program and budget recommendations at the next scheduled presentation date.

The board’s action sets in motion a period of planning and community outreach. The district will continue to operate ACC and the virtual academy from the Hall building during the planning period, Wright said. He added that specific staffing, course offerings and extracurricular availability will depend on enrollment, budget approvals and further community input.

The decision came amid broader district budget work, including presentation of school grade gains and district budget projections earlier in the meeting and discussion of grants and school improvement efforts. The Hall decision is framed by administrators as a step intended to preserve campus use while aligning programming and costs with projected enrollment and district finances. No immediate changes to Hamilton Learning Academy, adult education, or extracurricular schedules will occur until detailed planning and follow‑up board approvals are completed.

Ending note: The board asked administrators to prepare materials for families — including projected timelines for course selection, enrollment choices and transportation implications — and to return on Oct. 30 with the hybrid program budget and a more specific, enrollment‑based plan for extracurriculars and staffing.