Jackson Academy (Mississippi)

Jackson Academy
Official seal
Address
Map
4908 Ridgewood Road

Jackson
,
Mississippi
Coordinates32°21′45″N 90°8′28″W / 32.36250°N 90.14111°W / 32.36250; -90.14111
Information
TypePrimary and Secondary Independent
MottoIntegrity, Achievement, Growth.
Established1959
FounderLoyal M Bearss
PresidentPalmer Kennedy
GradesK3 through 12
Enrollment1,183
Color(s)Navy, Silver and White
AthleticsBaseball, Basketball, Cross-Country, Dance/Cheer, Football, Golf, Soccer, Softball, Swimming, Tennis, Track, Volleyball
MascotRaiders
NicknameJA
AccreditationSACS,[1] SAIS
YearbookReflections
AffiliationsNAIS, MAIS
WebsiteOfficial Website

Jackson Academy is a private school in Jackson, Mississippi founded by Loyal M. Bearrs in 1959.[2] Bearrs claimed he established the school to teach using an accelerated phonics program he developed,[3][4] but the school remained completely racially segregated until 1986, even forgoing tax exemption in 1970 to avoid having to accept Black students.[5]

Today, the school enrolls nearly 1200 students in grades K3 through 12, making it one of the largest independent schools in Mississippi.[6]

  1. ^ Institution Summary, AdvancED, Retrieved 2012-07-10
  2. ^ McGee, Meredith Coleman (2013-03-21). James Meredith: Warrior and the America that Created Him. ABC-CLIO. p. 40. ISBN 9780313397400.
  3. ^ McIntire, Carl (December 1, 1963). "Try New-Old Methods: Jackson Academy Plans Open House Next Sunday" (PDF). Clarion-Ledger (Jackson, Mississippi). p. 58. Retrieved 10 May 2018.
  4. ^ Dilmore, John (January 25, 1996). "Bearss discusses JA founding" (PDF). Northside Sun. Retrieved 10 May 2018.
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference :4 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ "Bunting and Lyon's private school directory". Comprehensive Directory of Private Schools. Archived from the original on 2011-07-08.