First day of school: Aug. 22
Open house: Aug. 18, elementary schools 4-6 p.m., secondary schools, 5-7 p.m. (Also: Camp Troy for 7th-graders at Hot Springs Junior Academy Aug. 8, 8-12 p.m.; Kindergarten boot camp at all elementary schools Aug. 8-12, 8 a.m. to noon; Camp Troy for seniors at Hot Springs World Class High School Aug. 9.
About: The Hot Springs School District is a unified Trojan family of campuses spread across multiple historic school sites, comprised of a diverse and driven student population, and located in the thriving Hot Springs community. Founded in 1881, the district serves an area just over 33 square miles in the heart of the city. It is the second-largest district in Garland County and the 29th largest in Arkansas. The HSSD is focused on the highest level of academic excellence and student achievement. "We balance strategically planned curriculum and academic growth opportunities with an array of extracurricular activities and clubs/programs to engage and challenge students at every level. The mission of the HSSD is to educate and empower each student to graduate from high school college and/or career ready, respect diversity, and to be contributing members of a global society. The vision of the HSSD is to set the standard for education," according to its website.