Madison-Ridgeland Academy
Madison-Ridgeland Academy (MRA) is a private, co-educational school in Madison, Mississippi, United States for students from K-3 through 12th grade. It was founded in 1969 as a segregation academy. Termie Land is the Head of School.[1]
| Madison-Ridgeland Academy | |
|---|---|
| Address | |
  Madison-Ridgeland Academy | |
7601 Old Canton Road , Mississippi United States | |
| Coordinates | 32°26′59″N 90°6′25″W |
| Information | |
| Type | Independent |
| Motto | Educating the Mind, Body & Spirit |
| Religious affiliation(s) | Christianity |
| Established | 1969 |
| School district | 6A |
| Dean | Herbert Davis |
| Principal | Greg Self |
| Headmaster | "Termie" Land |
| Grades | K3-12 |
| Gender | Coeducational |
| Enrollment | 1,200(est.) |
| Campus | Suburban |
| Color(s) | Red, White, and Blue |
| Athletics | Basketball, Baseball, Football, Golf, Track & Field, Cross Country, Tennis, Soccer, Volleyball, and Archery |
| Mascot | Patriots |
| Rival | Jackson Prep, Jackson Academy |
| Accreditation | SACS, SAIS, MAIS |
| Affiliations | Mississippi Association of Independent Schools, Southern Association of Independent Schools, Southern Association of Colleges and Schools |
| Website | www |
History
The school was founded in 1969 as a segregation academy.[2] As of 1986, the school had never enrolled a black student, although it had a nondiscrimination policy and had received several inquiries. [3] As of 2012, 95 percent of the students were white, 2 percent were Asian and 2 percent were black.[4]
The school does not allow black hairstyles such as cornrows, dreadlocks or twists.[5] In 2019 Nicolas Rowan became the school's first African-American salutatorian.[6]
In 2019, University of Mississippi chancellor Glenn Boyce was criticized his past affiliation with Madison-Ridgeland Academy.[7]
Facilities
MRA has 4 buildings; the Kindergarten building, the Elementary building, the Middle School building, and the High School building. The newest of the 4 is the Middle School building, which was built in 2019.
Notable people
- Glenn Boyce, chancellor of the University of Mississippi coached football at MRA[7]
- Jack Carlisle, coached football at MRA[8]
- Tate Ellington, actor
- Dallas Walker, football player
- Ruston Webster, general manager of the Tennessee Titans
- Saahdiq Charles, football player Louisiana State University
- Nicolas Rowan, football player US Naval Academy
References
- "Mission & Leadership". Retrieved 10 November 2019.
- Wolfe, Anna (December 17, 2014). "What is a 'Segregation Academy'?". Jackson Free Press. Retrieved November 17, 2016.
- Johnson, Hayes (September 5, 1986). "Academy Enrolls Black Student for First Time". Clarion-Ledger. p. 1B.
- "Great Schools: Madison-Ridgeland Academy". Retrieved 2 November 2017.
- Pittman, Ashton (December 21, 2018). "Mississippi's 'Seg Academies' Creating National Dialogue". Jackson Free Press. Retrieved 10 November 2019.
- Clark, Patrice (May 28, 2019). "First African-American MRA salutatorian scores millions in scholarships, chooses to attend Naval Academy". Retrieved 10 November 2019.
- Payne, Daniel (October 5, 2009). "New chancellor worked at three 'segregation academies' early in his career". The Daily Mississippian. Retrieved 2020-06-16.
- https://www.jacksonfreepress.com/news/2012/oct/15/jack-carlisle/