Van Buren High School (Van Buren, Arkansas)
Van Buren High School is a comprehensive public high school serving students in grades 10 through 12 in Van Buren, Arkansas, United States. It is the sole high school administered by the Van Buren School District. History. The school underwent a major development project that was finished in 2009. The project added a number of new classrooms, a new basketball facility (Clair Bates Arena), and a 1,500 seat concert and performing arts center, known as the Van Buren Fine Arts Center. Curriculum. The assumed course of study at Van Buren High School exceeds  the Smart Core curriculum developed by the Arkansas Department of Education (ADE). Students engage in regular and Advanced Placement (AP) coursework and exams to obtain at least 24 units beyond the 22 units required by the Smart Core curriculum. The Van Buren School District offers students a Smart Core diploma, a College Prep diploma, a College Prep with Honors diploma, and a College Prep with High Honors diploma, each based on certain coursework and grade point average requirements. Exceptional students have been recognized as National Merit Finalists and participated in Arkansas Governor's School. The school maintains a concurrent credit  partnership with the University of Arkansas – Fort Smith, Arkansas Tech University, Western Arkansas Technical Center, and Northwest Arkansas Community College, whereas students may receive concurrent high school and college credit. Van Buren High School was listed and unranked in the "U.S. News & World Report" Best High Schools 2012 report. The Pointer Pride Marching Band has won several marching contests, including Broken Arrow Invitational Grand Champions in 2010. Extracurricular activities. The school's mascot is the Pointer (hunting dog), and its school colors are kelly green and white. Athletics. For 2012-17, the Van Buren Pointers compete in the state's  largest classification (7A) And in 2018 will compete in the state's second-largest classification (6A) within the 7A/6A Central Conference of the Arkansas Activities Association (AAA). The Pointers engage in numerous interscholastic activities, including baseball, basketball (boys/girls), cross country (boys/girls), football, golf, track, soccer, softball, tennis (boys/girls), and volleyball, along with marching band, cheer, and dance. Other extracurricular activities include a journalism department that produces the student newspaper and yearbook, choir, and drama. The Van Buren High School Pointers have won several state and conference championships in multiple sports: Clubs and traditions. Van Buren High School  offers numerous clubs and organizations for student participation, including: Art Club, National Beta Club, Chess Club, Drama Club, Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA), Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA), French Club, Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA), Future Educators Association (FEA), German Club, Student Senate and House of Representatives, Mu Alpha Theta, National Honor Society, Parent Teacher Student Association, Partners Club that support activities of the Special Olympics, Quill and Scroll, Quiz Bowl, Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD), Social Studies Club, Spanish Club, Teenage Republicans, and Young Democrats of America High School Caucus. Van Buren High School (Van