Pulaski Academy facts for kids

Pulaski Academy (PA) is a private school in Little Rock, Arkansas, USA. It teaches students from preschool all the way up to high school. The school helps students get ready for college. Brock Dunn is the headmaster. PA started in 1971. It is the only independent, non-religious school in Arkansas that focuses on preparing students for college.

History of Pulaski Academy

How Pulaski Academy Started

Pulaski Academy was built in 1971. It was started by a businessman named William F. Rector. He wanted to create a private school for families in the western suburbs of Little Rock, Arkansas.

Campus Growth

In 2006, Pulaski Academy bought the campus of Fellowship Bible Church. This made the school's campus much bigger. It grew to be 32 acres (about 13 hectares) in size.

Academics and Learning

School Accreditation

Pulaski Academy is officially recognized by two groups: ISACS (Independent Schools Association of the Central States) and ANSAA (Arkansas Non-public School Accrediting Association). This means the school meets high standards for education.

Awards and Achievements

In 2003, readers of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette newspaper voted Pulaski Academy the "Best of the Best" Private High School. This shows how much people in the area value the school.

Student Success

Pulaski Academy students do very well. For example, in the 2008–09 school year, many students from the Class of 2009 were named National Merit Scholars. This is a big honor for high school students. The school has about 1,210 students from kindergarten to 12th grade. There are about 9 students for every teacher, which means students get a lot of personal attention.

Sports and Activities

School Spirit

The school's mascot is the Bruin. The school colors are navy blue and Vegas gold. The sports teams are called the Pulaski Academy Bruins.

Sports Teams

The Pulaski Academy Bruins play in the 7A Central Conference. This is part of the Arkansas Activities Association. The school has many different sports teams for boys and girls. These include baseball, basketball, cheerleading, cross country, football, soccer, softball, swimming, tennis, golf, volleyball, lacrosse, and wrestling.

Football Team's Unique Style

The school's football team has won many state championships. From 2003 to 2021, the team was coached by Kevin Kelley. He was known for his unusual strategies. For example, his team almost never punted the ball. They also often tried an onside kick to get the ball back right after scoring. The team is now coached by Anthony Lucas.

Athletic State Championships

The Pulaski Academy Bruins have won 68 state championships across various sports:

• Wrestling (3x): 2018, 2019, 2020
• Girls Tennis (17x): 1980, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1992, 1994, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2010, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022
• Boys Tennis (17x): 1987, 2002, Fall 2003, Spring 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021
• Baseball (5x): 1993, 1994, 2002, 2003, 2013 5A
• Girls Soccer (7x): 2003, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2011, 2012, 2021, 2022
• Boys Soccer (3x): 2000, 2001, 2007
• Football (11x): (2003 3A), (2008 5A), (2011 4A) (2014 5A), (2015 5A), (2016 5A), (2017 5A), (2019 5A), (2020 5A), (2021 5A), (2022 6A)
• Boys Basketball (2x): 2002, 2003
• All Golf Team (5x) : 2000, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2006
• Dance (1x) : 2020

Famous Alumni

Many notable people have graduated from Pulaski Academy. Here are a few:

• Ashlie Atkinson, an actress
• Ayana Gray, a novelist
• Dusty Hannahs (born 1993), a basketball player
• Will Hastings, an American football wide receiver
• Hunter Henry, a tight end in the NFL for the New England Patriots
• Jason King, a former offensive guard in the NFL
• Amy Lee, the lead singer of the band Evanescence. She wrote a song called Listen to the Rain that was sung at her graduation.
• Jonathan Luigs, who played in the NFL for the Cincinnati Bengals
• David Venable, an intelligence officer, author, and businessman