Fountain Lake High School


Fountain Lake High School is a high school in the city of Hot Springs, Arkansas. It is the only high school in the Fountain Lake School District, which also includes a middle school and elementary school on the same site. It was founded in 1933 with only four students in its graduating class. Since 1975, the mascot has been the cobra.

Campus History

In 1991, a new high school building was constructed.
In 1992, Irvin J. Bass Gymnasium was built. The gym was named after one of Fountain Lake's superintendents. The gym has been the home of the Cobra basketball team since then. The court is named after Sammy Lambert, one of the earlier coaches of the Fountain Lake basketball program.
In 1994, the school added an auditorium along with a new band room and choir room. The auditorium has held various school plays, formal events, and student meetings since its construction. The auditorium was renamed Sargo Auditorium in the 2017-18 school year due to Mrs. Mary Sargo's many years of dedicated teaching as a Choir Director.
In 2006, flooding in Fountain Lake damaged several buildings at the high school as well as some items inside those buildings. The Fountain Lake School District, in the wake of that event, added arched/sloped roofs to the buildings and a new drainage system to improve the flow of excess water during such events.
In 2008, more expansion was brought with the construction of a new middle school building and a new high school practice gymnasium. The old one became part of the elementary school. In December 2009, construction of the middle school was finished.
In 2012, the school constructed two storm shelters with indoor basketball gyms. Safe Room A is located by the middle school and Safe Room B is located by the tennis courts.
Since the 2014-15 school year, the middle school has been known as Fountain Lake Middle School Cobra Digital Prep Academy.
Since the 2015-16 school year, the high school has been known as Fountain Lake Charter High School.

Academics

The assumed course of study follows the Smart Core curriculum developed the Arkansas Department of Education, which requires students to complete 22 credit units before graduation. Students engage in regular and career focus courses and exams and may select Advanced Placement coursework and exams and college classes offered through National Park Community College that provide an opportunity to receive college credit. The school is accredited by the ADE.

Extracurricular Activities

The Fountain Lake mascot is the Cobra with purple and gold serving as the school colors. The school has had a physical mascot since the 2017-18 school year.
Fountain Lake, as of the 2019-20 school year, offers thirteen sports and nineteen clubs/organizations for students.
Clubs that students can be involved with are: Anime Club, Art Club, Band, Jr./Sr. Beta Club, Choir, EAST, FCA, FCCLA, FFA, Interact Club, Internship, IPT, Journalism, Key Club, National Honor Society, Jr. High/Sr. High Quiz Bowl, Spanish Club, Student Council, and Yearbook.

Athletics

For 2020-22, the Fountain Lake Cobras participates in the 4A Classification from the 4A Region 7 Conference as administered by the Arkansas Activities Association. The Cobras compete in baseball, basketball, cross country, football, golf, softball, tennis, track & field, and volleyball.
The school's football program was founded in 1975. They won their first state championship in 2009 over Prescott High School.
The school's tennis program was founded in 1975. The boys tennis team won their first championship in 1982 alongside Central Arkansas. Since then they have won three other championships in 1983, 1994, and 2006. The girls tennis team won their first championship in 1982. Since then they have won eight other championships in 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1997, 1998, 1999, and 2003.
The school's volleyball program was founded in 1977. The volleyball program went to the championship game for the first time ever in 2019.

Choir

The Fountain Lake Choir participates in the 3A Classification from the 3A Region 5 Conference as administered by the Arkansas Activities Association. In 2013, The Senior High Women's Chorus went to state competition and received scores of "superior" and "excellent". Also, in 2013, the Fountain Lake choir had ten students attend the state solo and small ensemble state competition for the first time in its history. Three students, Courtnie Taylor, Cody Douell, and Ella Ledbetter, received scores of superior, also being a first for Fountain Lake. The Fountain Lake Choir has had four six year Southwest Arkansas All-regional Choir members, and multiple state title holders. Elizabeth Rountree is the only singer from Fountain Lake to be in the Arkansas State Choir two years, and the four Southwest Arkansas All-Regional Choir members are: Jacob Cragg, Kaylee Cragg, Dale Grimm, and Cody Douell. The Fountain Lake Choir was directed by Mary Sargo from the 1980-81 school year to the 2017-18 school year. Katherine Combs has taken the opportunity to continue Mary Sargo's success.

Notable Alumni