Starkville Academy facts for kids

Starkville Academy (SA) is a private school located in Starkville, Mississippi. It teaches students from kindergarten all the way to 12th grade. The school was started in 1969 by the Oktibbeha Educational Foundation.

History of Starkville Academy

Before 1969, schools in Starkville, Mississippi, were separated by race. White students went to one school, and Black students went to another. In the late 1960s, the United States government began to make sure that all schools allowed students of all races to learn together. This was called school integration.

When schools started to integrate, some parents wanted to send their children to private schools. Starkville Academy was founded in 1969. It was one of many private schools started in the South during this time.

In 1970, the school's special tax status was removed. This happened because the school did not show that it allowed all students to apply, no matter their race.

Later, in 1974, Starkville Academy was part of a lawsuit. The lawsuit was about a state program that helped pay for some students to attend private schools. A court decided in 1977 that this program was not fair. This was because it allowed money to go to schools that did not accept all students.

In 1980, the school's land became part of Starkville. However, the city did not charge the school for some public services. In 1984, a group called the NAACP filed a lawsuit. They said that giving free water and electricity to the school was not fair. They argued it was wrong to help a school that did not treat all races equally.

In 1993, the NAACP asked the local public school district to make a rule. They wanted public school teachers to not send their own children to schools that did not accept all races. At that time, Starkville Academy stated that no Black students had ever applied or enrolled.

In 2015, the public school districts in Starkville merged. After this, Starkville Academy saw fewer students enrolling.

Student Population at Starkville Academy

Starkville Academy has a diverse group of students. In 2012, most students were white. There were also students who were Asian, Hispanic, and Black. By the 2015–16 school year, a small number of the students were Black.

Starkville Academy Athletics

Starkville Academy's sports teams are known as the Volunteers. They compete in the Mississippi Association of Independent Schools (MAIS) league.

The football team won a big championship in 2019. They became the MAIS AAA State Champions. This was their seventh MAIS Championship win in school history.

In 2016, the girls' soccer team also won a championship. They won their first MAIS soccer championship in Division III.

Notable Alumni of Starkville Academy

Many former students from Starkville Academy have gone on to do interesting things.

• Scott Tracy Griffin, an author
• Neely Tucker, a journalist and author
• Casey Woods, a coach for college football teams