Madison-Ridgeland Academy (MRA, Madison-Ridgeland) is a private, co-educational school in Madison, Mississippi, for students from K-3 through 12th grade. There are 4 divisions; the Kindergarten (K3-K5), the Elementary (1st–5th grade), the Middle School (6th–8th grade), and the High School (9th–12th).
| Madison-Ridgeland Academy | |
|---|---|
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| Address | |
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7601 Old Canton Road , United States | |
| Coordinates | 32°26′59″N 90°6′25″W / 32.44972°N 90.10694°W |
| Information | |
| Type | Independent |
| Motto | Educating the Mind, Body & Spirit |
| Religious affiliation(s) | Christianity |
| Established | 1969 |
| School district | 6A |
| Dean | Brent Cofield (high school) Danny White (middle school) |
| Principal | Greg Self (high school) Ben Haindel (middle school) |
| Headmaster | "Termie" Land |
| Grades | K3-12 |
| Gender | Coeducational |
| Enrollment | 1,500 (est.) |
| Campus | Suburban |
| Color(s) | MRA Red, White, Patriot Blue |
| Athletics | Basketball, Baseball, Football, Golf, Track & Field, Cross Country, Tennis, Soccer, Volleyball, and Archery |
| Mascot | Patriot |
| Nickname | Patriots |
| Rival | Jackson Prep, Jackson Academy |
| Accreditation | SACS, SAIS, MAIS |
| Newspaper | The Patriot Recap |
| Affiliations | Mississippi Association of Independent Schools, Southern Association of Independent Schools, Southern Association of Colleges and Schools |
| Website | www |
History
editMRA was housed in a Madison church for its first year as a school; the following year the school relocated to their first facility on their 25 acre campus.[1]
In 1970, MRA was one of 4 private schools accused by the NAACP of using state provided public funding for textbooks. M. A. Snowden, Executive Secretary of the State Textbook board, stated that Mississippi law requires the loaning of textbooks to all students, whether they attend public or private schools. [2]
In 2019, University of Mississippi chancellor Glenn Boyce was criticized because of his past affiliation with Madison-Ridgeland Academy.[3]
Dress code
editThe school has a strict dress code that requires uniforms.[4]
Demographics
editAs of 1986, the school had never enrolled a black student, although it had a nondiscrimination policy and had received several inquiries.[5] As of 2012, 95 percent of the students were white, 2 percent were Asian and 2 percent were black.[6]
In 2019, Nicolas Rowan became the school's first African-American salutatorian.[7]
Athletics
editThe school's sports programs have won multiple MAIS football championships, the most recent being in 2021. The school nickname is Patriots.[8]
Basketball coach, Richard Duease, was inducted into the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame in 2024. He is the winningest boys and girls high school coach in Mississippi, and the third winningest active high school basketball coach in the nation. [9]
Notable people
edit- Glenn Boyce, chancellor of the University of Mississippi coached football at MRA[3]
- Jack Carlisle, coached football at MRA[10]
- Saahdiq Charles, football tackle, Washington Football Team
- Tate Ellington, actor
- Dallas Walker, football player
- Ruston Webster, scout for the Atlanta Falcons, former general manager of the Tennessee Titans[11]
References
edit- ^ "History - Madison-Ridgeland Academy | Independent School, Madison, MS".
- ^ "State NAACP hits private school books". Greenwood Commonwealth. September 2, 1970. p. 1.
- ^ a b Payne, Daniel (October 5, 2009). "New chancellor worked at three 'segregation academies' early in his career". The Daily Mississippian. Retrieved 2020-06-16.
- ^ "2022-2023 Middle & High School Student/Parent Handbook" (PDF). Middle_High_School_Student_Handbook_2022. Retrieved 25 August 2024.
- ^ 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.
- ^ Clark, Patrice (May 28, 2019). "First African-American MRA salutatorian scores millions in scholarships, chooses to attend Naval Academy". Retrieved 10 November 2019.
- ^ "Madison-Ridgeland Academy's defense dominates in MAIS 6A championship win vs. Hartfield Academy".
- ^ "RICHARD DUEASE MISSISSIPPI SPORTS HALL OF FAME INDUCTEE".
- ^ "Jack Carlisle".
- ^ "Official Website of the Atlanta Falcons Football Club".