Lawrence County Academy was a private, co-educational PK–12 school in Lawrence County, Mississippi, near Monticello.[1] The school has been described as a segregation academy.[2]
Lawrence County Academy | |
---|---|
Address | |
Ferguson Mill Road [1] United States | |
Coordinates | 31°37′17″N 90°04′10″W / 31.6212561°N 90.069361°W |
Information | |
Type | Private |
Established | 1970[2] |
Closed | Late 1980s[2] |
Final principal | Autry Donnie Smith |
Grades | PK–12 |
Enrollment | 158[1] (1985) |
Campus type | Rural |
Nickname | Rebels |
Accreditation | Southern Association of Colleges and Schools |
Affiliation | Mississippi Association of Independent Schools |
History
editIn January 1970, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit ordered Mississippi to desegregate its public schools. Lawrence County Academy was founded in 1970 as a segregation academy.[2] The school's team nickname was Rebels.[2]
The school closed in September, 1986 due to declining enrollment.[3][2]
In 2018 Mississippi Senate special election, Cindy Hyde-Smith was criticized for attendance at the school.[4]
Notable people
edit- Cindy Hyde-Smith, U.S. Senator is an alumnus[2][5]
- Ronnie Shows, U.S. Representative coached basketball at the school[2]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b c "CIC's School Directory, Volume 25". Curriculum Information Center. 1986. ISSN 0162-9646. Retrieved November 24, 2018.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Pittman, Ashton (November 23, 2018). "Hyde-Smith Attended All-White 'Seg Academy' to Avoid Integration". Jackson Free Press. Retrieved November 24, 2018.
- ^ "Lawrence Academy to close". Enterprise-Journal (McComb, Mississippi). September 3, 1986. Retrieved November 14, 2019.
- ^ "The Stories of "Segregation Academies," as Told by the White Students Who Attended Them". November 7, 2019.
- ^ "Simpson County Senate and House of Representatives". Simpson County News (Mendenhall, Mississippi). March 25, 2004. Retrieved November 14, 2019.