Hope Public Schools is starting the process of moving students and staff out of its current Hope Academy of Public Service location at 601 West Sixth Street, formerly Garland Elementary School.  

A meeting concerning building reconfiguration has been called for January 30th at 5:30 p.m. at Hempstead Hall on the UAHT-Hope campus to discuss the plan.  The meeting announcement says, "The public is invited to learn more about why the Garland Learning Center (HAPS) is no longer suitable for student instruction while also taking part in an open discussion about possible reconfiguration solutions. The conversation will include feedback from the public, teachers & staff, students, and parents provided through the previously released survey."

The following statement was released Monday afternoon by Hope Public Schools spokesman David Henderson about the decision: 

“The main reason for the discussion regarding HAPS centers on the fact that we have three middle school campuses that are not being fully utilized. By reconfiguring the campuses, the district can bring student populations together in a smaller number of facilities. As the district looks ahead to possible new construction in the future, the Arkansas Department of Secondary and Elementary Education (DESE) takes overall student population and current facility usage into account when determining the amount of funding a district may receive. If the state does not perceive a need based on available student space, funding for new construction could be minimized or rejected altogether. 

“Additionally, consideration is being taken based on the state's facilities assessment of educational buildings within a school district. According to the latest reports from the Arkansas Department of Public School Academic Facilities and Transportation, [the building called] Garland (HAPS) has an overall depreciation of -28.53%, with specific aspects of the campus ranging from 12% to -48%. The lower the value, the worse the condition of the facility. With an overall rating of -28.53%, the buildings at the campus are degrading to the point that they will not remain suitable for student use for much longer.”