| Fuqua School | |
|---|---|
|
Scientia volamus
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| Location | |
| 605 Fuqua Drive Farmville, VA 23901 |
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| Information | |
| Type | Private |
| Established | 1959 |
| President | Ruth S. Murphy |
| Dean | Rick Davis |
| Grades | Pre-K - 12th |
| Enrollment | 572 |
| Color(s) | Red and Gold |
| Mascot | Falcon |
| Information | 434-392-4131 |
| Endowment | $6.0 million |
| Website | Link |
Fuqua School is a private primary and secondary school located in Farmville, Virginia. It is named after J.B. Fuqua, who made a large contribution to the school in 1992 to save it from financial insolvency. The school is fully accredited by the Virginia Association of Independent Schools,[1] the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools,[2] and the National Association for the Education of Young Children.[3]
Fuqua School was founded in 1959 as Prince Edward Academy by land donated from the town of Farmville . The school was established as a segregation academy after the United States Supreme Court's decision in Brown v. Board of Education as a way for white students who were affected by the school closings to receive an education during the period of massive resistance to desgregration. As a result of the public school closing, many young African Americans were denied an education by the county. While some blacks moved in with relatives elsewhere to attend school, the majority of the population remained in Prince Edward and did not return to school when it reopened. The public school system in Prince Edward County remained closed from 1959-1964. The United States Supreme Court decision Griffin v. County School Board of Prince Edward with a vote of 9-0 outlawed the allocation of public funds through tuition grants to fund race-discriminating institutions. When public schools were reopened in 1964 and integrated, Prince Edward Academy stood as an option for families who did not want to participate in integration, thus continuing racial tension among citizens. Because Prince Edward Academy did not accept non-white students, it lost its tax-exempt status in 1978 and began to suffer financially. It was not until 1986 that it ended its policy of discrimination and admitted students of other races. While there was little public outcry, private opinion was very mixed. Its association with "old money" and discrimination in the past still causes some tension in the Farmville community, especially amongst non-whites and students of the local public schools.
By the early 1990s, with aging technology, a very small alumni contribution base, and an increasing debt, Prince Edward Academy was nearing financial collapse. In 1992, former local resident and businessman J.B. Fuqua donated about 10 million dollars to pay off debts and install necessary improvements to the school, such as air conditioning and computers. The school was transformed at that point with new administration, new mascot and school colors, in addition to the school name change. Until his passing in 2006, Mr. Fuqua donated thousands of dollars to the school each year and regularly visited the school and its students.
Mr. Fuqua's final gift to Fuqua School was a charitable bequest in the amount of $5 million, which will be invested as a permanent endowment for the school.
As of December 2011, fifteen of Fuqua’s 420 students are black.[4]