District Insider Newsletter

Dear LISA Family,

As we look forward to the new school year, our commitment to providing your student with a strong academic foundation and exciting opportunities to explore science, technology, engineering, and mathematics remains our focus. Whether you're joining us in elementary, middle, or high school, your family is now part of a supportive learning environment that values STEM learning and college readiness!

We’re excited to share what our students and staff have been up to this summer. From science experiments to reading readiness, their efforts reflect the spirit of continuous learning that defines our schools. As you get settled in, you’ll hear more about our unique programs and family engagement opportunities. We encourage you to stay connected and involved — we love building relationships with our families!

If you have any questions as the school year begins, please don’t hesitate to reach out to your campus team. We are here to help, and we’re excited to be part of your student’s educational journey.

Welcome to LISA Academy — where today's learners are tomorrow's leaders!

Dr. Fatih Bogrek
Superintendent

Dr. Fatih is deeply honored and grateful to be recognized as a recipient of the 2026 Brian’s Voice Award, an award that celebrates leadership, advocacy, and the power of storytelling within the charter school movement. He stood out for his piece, Two Decades of Innovation: The Story of LISA Academy: A longitudinal view of how consistency, STEM focus, and community trust can build one of the nation’s largest charter networks.

He views this recognition not as an individual achievement, but as a reflection of the collective dedication, passion, and hard work of the entire school community.

As our teachers and staff return for Professional Development Week, we look forward to celebrating the incredible achievements of our educators during our Superintendent Lunch Awards in both Central Arkansas and Northwest Arkansas.

This year's celebration recognizes excellence at every level of our organization:

• 11 schools earning ATLAS School Achievement Awards
• 10 schools receiving the prestigious A or B School Letter Grade Trophy
• 25 teachers honored for conducting the most home visits at their campuses, strengthening family partnerships
• 13 Advanced Placement teachers recognized for outstanding student success on AP exams
• 83 educators receiving Arkansas DESE Merit Pay for excellence in student growth, teaching in critical shortage areas, and mentoring future educators

These awards reflect the dedication and passion of our outstanding team members who go above and beyond every day to ensure student success. We are proud to celebrate their accomplishments and grateful for the positive impact they make across every LISA Academy campus!

We are thrilled to announce that Anirudh, one of our talented 5th grade students, earned 3rd Place in 5th Grade Science at the National Beta Competition over the summer! Thousands of Beta members from across the country gathered to showcase academic excellence, leadership, and service.

Congratulations Anirudh! Your hard work and excellent character have made the entire LISA Academy community proud.

Our ACSL (American Computer Science League) team achieved outstanding results in the 2025–26 Contest 5!

• LISA Academy North Middle High School earned 1st Place in the Junior 5 Contest for the State of Arkansas.
• Navjot earned 1st Place Individual in the Junior 5 Contest for the State of Arkansas.

Congratulations to our students on this outstanding achievement and for representing LISA Academy with excellence!

This summer, the LISA Academy West Middle School TechRise Team showed off their their creativity and problem-solving with their high-altitude balloon project.

Our scholars designed an experiment to investigate the effectiveness of sunscreen at high altitudes. Their custom-built payload measured UV radiation and temperature levels to see how well sunscreen holds up when there is less atmospheric protection. Their project flew about 13 miles above Earth!

These enriching experiences provided students with opportunities to develop new talents over the summer; thank you to all of the volunteers, mentors, and coordinators for your hard work in supporting our scholars!

We are eagerly awaiting the opening of our newest campus: LISA Academy Fayetteville Middle-High School! With this addition, LISA will serve over 4,500 across 14 schools statewide, making us the largest charter school in Arkansas for onsite learning.

Thank you for your continuous support of today's learners and tomorrow's leaders!