MAUMELLE, Ark. — Most Arkansas schools won't start for another couple of weeks, but the new Maumelle Charter High School had its first day on Thursday in a brand new building.
The energy was high at the school on the first day back in the classroom.
"It was great getting to see all my friends," said Oaken Pool, a senior at Maumelle Charter High School.
Students and faculty are both excited to be using their new high school building for the first time ever.
"Our new building is beautiful," said Jami Eubanks, a computer science teacher.
The project to build the new high school had been in the works for several years, and cost about $35 million to complete.
The finished building is 130 thousand square feet with 33 classrooms, and even something they've never had before— an auditorium.
"With growth, that allows us to build beautiful buildings, and right now our district student body is at 1,600 and we expect to be at 2,000 within the next two years," said Principal Katie Johnson.
Maumelle Charter's mission is to prepare students for college with a rigorous academic experience and they hope to excel, especially in a new learning environment.
"We have a focus. We want to produce high performers and we want to be the best college preparatory school in the nation," said Johnson.
The high school will have a grand opening at the end of August., and the governor is expected to attend and cut the ribbon.