The Institute for the Creative Arts, the first Performing & Visual Arts High School in Arkansas, is pleased to announce its Founding Board of Directors.
The five-member Founding Board includes Mrs. Jeannie Cole, Mr. David Cravens, Dr. Rick Foti, Ms. JoAnna Lever, and Ms. Kaylee Rainwater. Each come with a wealth of experience in key areas including education, arts, finance, public school board experience, and parent engagement.
Jeannie Cole is serving as the ICA Board Chair and has an extensive background in music and public school board participation. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Music Education from Harding University. Jeannie served on the Fort Smith Public School Board for 23 years, has served as the Arkansas PTA President and was appointed to the National PTA Legislative Committee and served as a National PTA Mentor. Jeannie was also awarded the Arkansas School Board Association President’s Award for 500 hours of continuing education. She has participated in the Arkansas Leadership Academy and Leadership Fort Smith, and most recently served as the Board Chair for Community School of the Arts.
David Cravens comes to ICA with a wealth of experience in finance. He is serving as the ICA Board Vice-Chair. He graduated with honors from the American Bankers Association Graduate School of Commercial Banking and is a Certified Treasury Professional from the Association for Financial Professionals. He attended the University of Arkansas and Glendale College in Los Angeles. David is the former Bank President of Regions Bank for the Fort Smith region where he served for 31 years. He was also the Regions Bank Market Executive. David has also served on the Board for Trinity Catholic School.
Dr. Rick Foti, Secretary of the ICA Board comes to the Institute with 40 years of experience in education and school administration. Rick holds a Doctorate of Educational Administration from UMKC and a Bachelors Degree in Music from Hendrix College. He served in elementary and special education in Missouri, Mississippi, and Arkansas including Principal positions at Parker and Trusty elementary schools. Rick has also served as the Executive Director at Community Services Clearinghouse and served on numerous nonprofit boards including the Chair of Community School of the Arts.
JoAnna Lever is joining ICA with extensive experience in education and specifically in K-12 Charter startups. She holds a Master of Education in Educational Leadership and Administration from the University of Arkansas and a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education and Teaching from Arkansas Tech University. JoAnna has held the position of Director of Charter Development for the Arkansas Public School Resource Center, Vice President of Education for Goodwill Industries of Arkansas, Educational Consultant, and the Founding Principal of the Fayetteville Virtual Academy. She has also been an instructional facilitator, teacher, and literacy coach. JoAnna is currently the Director of Community Relations for the Rogers Public Schools.
Kaylee Rainwater is coming to ICA with a background in finance and commercial banking. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of Central Arkansas and a Master of Business Administration from Webster University. Kaylee is currently working on her Graduate Degree in Banking from the Graduate School of Banking at Louisiana State University. She is the Vice-President of Commercial Banking for Arvest Bank Fort Smith. She has a talented young daughter in the theatre program at Community School of the Arts and will serve as the Parent Engagement Coordinator for ICA.
The high school, called the Institute for the Creative Arts, will open with students entering grades 9-11 in year one with grade 12 added in the fall of 2025. The school day will run from 8am-4pm with the day divided between academic and arts instruction.
As a public charter school, it is tuition-free and open to all students and will be housed in the new CSA Center for the Creative Arts facility located on a beautiful 10-acre campus at 1101 Riverfront Drive.
ICA will combine a rigorous college preparatory academic program with pre-professional training in the arts which will include music, theatre, dance, visual art, film, and culinary. The school will specialize in arts programs that are not typically offered in a traditional high school.
Students will be immersed in one or more arts disciplines of their choice and spend several hours weekly training and honing their skills. It is the first-of-its-kind in Arkansas and a model for education in both arts and academics.
QUOTE: Mrs. Jeannie Cole, Board Chair for the Institute for the Creative Arts
I am excited to help play a role in enhancing art education in the River Valley. This will be a game-changer in these students’ lives as they and the staff endeavor to transform the region into a beacon for the arts.
Performing & Visual Arts High Schools across the nation are some of the top schools in the U.S. Studies have shown that there is nearly a 100% high school graduation rate in these schools with over 90% of all students attending a school of this type going to college on arts and academic scholarships.
Enrollment is open. Students interested in registering or finding out more about ICA may visit https://www.icafortsmith.org. For more information, contact the ICA office at 479-434-2114, email info@icafortsmith.org, or contact Dr. Rosilee Russell at rosilee.russell@csafortsmith.org.
QUOTE: Dr. Rosilee Russell, Founder/Executive Director of Community School of the Arts
We are so excited to be able to provide a special high school like this in Arkansas. When students get to pursue their passion, they excel in unimaginable ways which leads to great things in their future. ICA is going to have a tremendous impact on students!