Parklane Academy

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Parklane Academy
Excellence in Christian education
Location
McComb, Mississippi, United States
Information
Type Private
Religious affiliation(s) Christian
Established 1970
Grades K4-12th
Enrollment c. 1,000
Color(s) Red, White, Blue
Athletics Football, Basketball, Baseball, Track, Soccer, Fast Pitch Softball, Tennis, Swim Team, Golf
Athletics conference MAIS
Mascot Pioneers
Website www.parklaneacademy.net

Parklane Academy is a private Christian school from grades K4 through 12th grade located in McComb, Mississippi. Parklane is a member of the Mississippi Association of Independent Schools (MAIS).

History

The school was founded in 1970, partially in reaction to the desegregation of the McComb, Mississippi public schooling system.[1] Originally new students were required to have the sponsorship of two families whose children attended the academy and no black students were invited.[2] Asked about the lack of African-American students in 1994 Kathy Miller, administrative assistant at Parklane, told the Austin American-Statesman that "[w]e have a couple of black students. Well, we have a couple of students named Black."[3]

By 2002 Parklane had tax-exempt status and therefore, according to school official Billy Swindle, followed a required non-discrimination policy.[2] In a city that was 58.40% African-American as of the 2000 census[4], no African-American children had attended Parklane Academy as of 2005.[5] In May 2009 Parklane Academy awarded a high school diploma to its first African-American graduate, a little over 50 years after the landmark Brown v. Board of Education decision that mandated the desegregation of public school systems.

Athletics

In 2001 The Mississippi Private School Association (MPSA) piloted a program which allowed member schools to participate in athletic matches against public schools. The Mississippi High School Athletic Association that their member schools would only be allowed to play private schools which met accreditation standards set by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS). Sixty nine of the MPSA's member schools, among them Parklane Academy, failed to meet SACS standards at that time. School administrator Billy Swindle told the local McComb newspaper that "Parklane has no plans to compete against public schools in athletics. In my opinion, not many of the private schools will. It's strictly a choice between the two schools involved. It's an autonomy question. Each school has to decide on their own."[6]

Notable alumni

References

  1. ↑ The Last Stand of Massive Resistance: Mississippi Public School Integration, 1970
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Jodi Enda (December 24, 2002). "Racist past still haunts Miss. town - Supposedly, segregation is dead. Its vestiges live". Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved September 7, 2012. 
  3. ↑ Robin Clark (July 10, 1994). "Town's racial divide subtler, but still deep, 30 years later". Austin American-Statesman. 
  4. ↑ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31. 
  5. ↑ Parklane Academy Students by Race - privateschoolsreport.com
  6. ↑ "Swindle: Parklane will not play against public schools". Enterprise-Journal (McComb, MS). June 26, 2001. Retrieved September 7, 2012. 
  7. ↑ Watkins, Billy (2003-07-14). "Shuttle manager's task: get NASA back into space". Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal. Retrieved 2007-12-20. 
  8. ↑ "William W. (Bill) Parsons". Kennedy Biographies. NASA. 2007-01-05. Retrieved 2007-12-20. 
  9. ↑ Beth Peters (1 July 1999). True Brit: The Story of Singing Sensation Britney Spears. Random House Digital, Inc. pp. 11–12. ISBN 978-0-345-43687-0. Retrieved 10 July 2012. 
  10. ↑ Michelle Medlock Adams (1 August 2005). Jamie Lynn Spears. Mitchell Lane Publishers. ISBN 978-1-58415-395-5. Retrieved 10 July 2012. 

External links

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