Arizona-based charter school applies to open campuses in Fort Smith, Jonesboro

Tempe, Ariz.-based Academies of Math & Science (AMS) has applied to open public enrollment charter schools in Fort Smith and Jonesboro. The Fort Smith campus for kindergarten through eighth grade would open in the fall 2026, and a Jonesboro K-8 school would open in the fall 2027.

Officials with the AMS school in Little Rock filed an amendment to its original charter application on Feb. 12 with the Arkansas Department of Education to seek a spot on the March 20 agenda for the department’s Charter Authorizing Panel.

“AMS Schools-Arkansas is seeking an amendment to open two new campuses within the boundaries of the Fort Smith and Jonesboro school districts,” AMS noted in its application. “The Fort Smith campus will house grade levels K-8 with a maximum enrollment of 810 students. The Jonesboro campus will house grade levels K-8 with a maximum student enrollment of 600 students.”

AMS now has an enrollment cap of 600 at its Little Rock school. If the amendment is approved, AMS allowed enrollment in Arkansas would total 2,010.

The application provides the following first academic year (2025-26) enrollment, revenue and other estimates with the Fort Smith campus.
• Enrollment: 753
• Revenue per student: $10,384
• Employees: 57
• Federal revenue: $887,589
• State revenue: $6.93 million
• Total revenue: $7.82 million

Total estimated first year expenditures in Fort Smith are estimated to be $7.57 million, including $3.6 million in salaries and benefits. The Fort Smith campus in its first year would have net income of $248,741.

The AMS application lists possible campus locations near the Interstate 540 and U.S. 71 interchange, and one at 2121 Towson Ave.

In Jonesboro, the AMS application provides the following first academic year (2026-27) enrollment, revenue and other estimates.
• Enrollment: 558
• Revenue per student: $10,384
• Employees: 38
• Federal revenue: $657,474
• State revenue: $5.13 million
• Total revenue: $5.79 million

Total estimated first year expenditures in Jonesboro are estimated to be $5.77 million, including $2.48 million in salaries and benefits. The Jonesboro campus in its first year would have net income of $18,825. The AMS application does not list location options for a Jonesboro campus.

“In alignment with our mission, vision, and values, we will pursue a viable school facility and/or land in Jonesboro to serve economically disadvantaged students who otherwise attend schools with poor academic performance,” noted the AMS filing.

The application did not include estimates on costs to build or renovate space for the campus locations. Repeated attempts to contact AMS officials in Arkansas and Arizona were unsuccessful.

The AMS was co-founded by Tatyana Chayka who, with her family, left Uzbekistan for the U.S. when the former Soviet Union was collapsing. The upstart charter should would eventually receive a “generous contribution from the Walton Family Foundation,” according to the AMS website.