First Presbyterian Day School
First Presbyterian Day School (FPD) is a private, college-preparatory Christian day school in Macon, Georgia, United States. FPD was founded in 1970 by Macon's First Presbyterian Church and has been described at the time of its founding as a segregation academy.[2]
First Presbyterian Day School | |
---|---|
![]() | |
Address | |
![]() ![]() First Presbyterian Day School | |
5671 Calvin Drive , 31210 United States | |
Coordinates | 32°52′21″N 83°45′00″W |
Information | |
School type | Independent college preparatory |
Religious affiliation(s) | Presbyterian |
Established | 1970 |
Headmaster | Dr. John Patterson (starting 2020-2021 school year) |
Teaching staff | 78.9 (on a FTE basis)[1] |
Grades | PK to 12 |
Gender | Coeducational |
Enrollment | 961 (including 42 PK students)[1] (2015-2016) |
Student to teacher ratio | 11.6[1] |
Color(s) | Red, black, and white |
Athletics | GHSA Class |
Nickname | Vikings |
Publication | The Edda (literary magazine) |
Newspaper | The SAGA |
Yearbook | Reflections |
Website | www |
History
First Presbyterian Day School was founded in 1970. The First Presbyterian church founded the school the same year that a judge ordered Bibb County public schools to desegregate. The campus was located in a mostly white suburban area, some distance away from the church's headquarters in a black neighborhood downtown. These factors have led the historian Andrew Manis to conclude that the school was a segregation academy established to allow white parents to avoid sending their children to racially integrated public schools.[2] The school has been tax-exempt since 1971 and maintains a policy of non-discrimination.[3]
Demographics
The demographic breakdown of the 919 K-12 students enrolled in 2015-2016 was:[1]
- Asian - 1.7%
- Black - 6.1%
- Hispanic - 1.0%
- White - 90.4%
- Multiracial - 0.8%
NCES does not gather demographic data for the 42 Pre-K students.
Athletics
Since the fall of 2010, FPD has competed in the Georgia High School Association. 2010 was its last year in the Georgia Independent School Association.[4]
The Vikings and Lady Vikings compete in baseball, basketball, cheering, cross-country, dance, football, golf, lacrosse, marksmanship, soccer, softball, swimming, tennis, track and field, volleyball, wrestling, and gymnastics.[5]
Since joining the GHSA in 2010, FPD has won numerous region and area championships as well as two state championships in girls' soccer [6] and state championships in softball[7] and clay target shooting.[8]
Academics
The elementary school was named a national Blue Ribbon School by the U.S. Department of Education in 2003, and the middle school was named a national Blue Ribbon School in 2012. The elementary school was again awarded the Blue Ribbon in 2015.[9] [10]
FPD is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.[11]
Notable alumni
- Richard Lovelady, MLB relief pitcher[12]
- Robert McDuffie, Grammy-nominated violinist [13]
- John Rocker, former major league baseball relief pitcher[14]
References
- "Search for Private Schools - School Detail for First Presbyterian Day School". nces.ed.gov. Retrieved 28 November 2018.
- Manis, Andrew Michael (2004). Macon Black and White: An Unutterable Separation in the American Century. Mercer University Press. p. 312. ISBN 9780865549586.
- "Form 990". ProPublica. Retrieved 29 November 2018.
- Jonathan Heeter (May 30, 2010). Going out on top: FPD closes its GISA era with a state baseball championship. The Telegraph (Middle Georgia). Accessed March 2014.
- "First Presbyterian Day School Profile | Macon, Georgia (GA)". www.privateschoolreview.com. Retrieved 2016-09-13.
- "State Championships". fpdvikings.com. Retrieved September 13, 2016.
- Hetrick, Luke. "FPD wins 2016 GHSA Private-A Softball Championship". wgxa.tv. Retrieved 28 November 2018.
- "Clay Target Sports – Georgia Independent School Association". www.gisaschools.org. Retrieved 28 November 2018.
- National Blue Ribbon Schools Program: Schools Recognized 1982 Through 2013. U.S. Department of Education. Accessed March 2014.
- "FPD becomes only private school in Georgia to win 2015 National Blue Ribbon for High Performance Award". 41NBC News | WMGT-DT. 2015-09-30. Retrieved 2016-09-13.
- "AdvancED - Institution Summary". www.advanc-ed.org. Retrieved 2016-09-13.
- "Lovelady makes MLB debut". coastalcourier.com. Retrieved 23 April 2019.
- "First Presbyterian Day School - GA - Outcomes & Test Scores - Niche". K-12 School Rankings and Reviews at Niche.com. Retrieved 2016-09-13.
- "Call this school Rockerville: Battle of the Decade: Braves vs. Yankees, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, October 26, 1999. Accessed March 2014.