Southland Academy

Southland Academy is a private, co-educational, non-sectarian Christian college preparatory day school in Americus, Georgia, United States. It enrolls 552 students in grades K through 12.[1] It was founded in 1966 as a segregation academy.[2][3]

Southland Academy
Location
Americus, Georgia, United States
Coordinates32°04′25″N 84°11′39″W
Information
TypePrivate
Established1966 (1966)
NCES School IDA0301268
HeadmasterLarry Collins
Number of students552[1]
Campus size55 acres (22 ha)
Color(s)Black, gold, and white
Team nameRaiders
Websitewww.southlandacademy.org

History

Southland Academy was founded in 1966 as a private school in response to the desegregation of Georgia public schools.[4][5] In 1979 the public school board (6 of 7 members of which sent their children to Southland) declared many of the district's buses, books and materials to be "surplus", then sold them to Southland at low prices. This caused financial hardships for the public schools, thereby promoting the academy.[5][6] The first classes began in the old Anthony School building on Anthony Drive. In 1970, Southland moved to its current location at 123 Southland Road. It was reported in 1979 that most white parents in the area sent their children to Southland rather than the local public school system, which at the time was 80% black and the subject of boycotts and criticism over alleged neglect and underfunding.[7] One businessman said he would "dig ditches" to earn money to pay tuition at Southland Academy and avoid sending his children to racially integrated public school.[8]

As of the mid-1980s, the Sumter County School District board was all white. School superintendent Ronnie Satterfield and several other board members sent their children to Southland Academy instead of the predominantly black public schools.[9] US president Jimmy Carter referred to the situation as a "disgrace to our state."[10]

Demographics

In 1985, Sumter County was 43% black, but not a single black student was enrolled in Southland Academy.[11]

As of 2006, Southland Academy's student population was 1% African American, 1% Hispanic, 2% American Indian, and 96% Caucasian.[12] In the 2015–16 school year, 3 of 510 students were black. In the 2017-2018 year, this number had not changed.[13]

In 2020, the school had 452 students, of whom 444 or 98% were white, 4 or less than 1% were Black, and 4 or less than 1% were Hispanic.[1] As of the 2020 census, the population of Americus was 27% White while Sumter County was 39% White.

Campus

The campus comprises 55 acres (22 ha). The main buildings are a 4K building (which combines both 3K and 4K) and a 5K building (which combines both 5K and 1st grade), the elementary building (which includes the main office), junior high (which also includes the cafeteria) and the high school building. Furthermore, the Charles F. Crisp Media and Technology Center has holds two computer labs along with a library. There is also the Jane L. Comer Music Room, the Melvin T. Kinslow gymnatorium, and a lower-school gymnasium. The upper-school gymnasium, which also has a lobby and stage section, doubles as a space for graduation ceremonies and the like. The campus also includes several playing fields - including a football field, a practice football field, and a softball field, among others. There are two playgrounds, one for regular children and a smaller one for the 3K and 4K grades.

Accreditation

The school is accredited by Southern Association of Independent Schools, Southern Association of Colleges and Schools and the Georgia Accrediting Association, and is a member of the Georgia Independent Schools Association (GISA).

Athletics

Southland Academy has an active athletic program in the GISA in the AAA region. Sports include football, baseball, softball, basketball, wrestling, cross-country running, track and field, golf, swimming, tennis, girls' soccer, and cheerleading. Male teams are called the Southland Raiders; female teams are the Lady Raiders. In 2016, the school added a clay target shooting team.

Class AAA GISA Championships:[14][15]

Football: 1986-1987, 1991-1992, 1992-1993
Baseball: 1982-1983, 1989-1991, 1994-1995, 2003-2004
Golf: 1980-1988, 1991-1992, 1993-1995, 1997-1998, 2009[16]
Boys' basketball: 1973-1974, 1975-1977, 1982-1983
Boys' cross country: 2013-2014, 2014-2015, 2015-2016
Boys' swimming: 1988-1989, 1991-1992, 1992-1993, 1993-1994, 1995-1996, 1997-1998, 2013-2014, 2014-2015, 2015-2016
Boys' tennis: 1980-1982, 1982-1984
Boys' track and field: 1975-1977, 1980-1984, 1991-1992
Softball: 1976-1977, 1999-2000, 2004-2005, 2006-2007
Girls' basketball: 1979-1980, 1985-1986
Girls' swimming: 1988-1989, 1989-1990, 1990-1991, 1991-1992, 1993-1994, 1994-1995
Girls' track: 1971-1972, 1975-1980, 1989-1990
Wrestling: 2001-2002

Customs and discipline

A tradition at the school is the annual pageant at which the Miss Southland Academy Raider, better known as Miss SAR, is crowned. The pageant was started in 1989 by "Mothers of Motivated Students," now part of Southland's parent-teacher organization. Its purpose is to generate funds for the Thomas A. Greene Scholarship Fund, which helps Southland students in financial need. Funds also go to the new Madeline Anne Wildes Scholarship Fund.[17]


References
  1. "Southland Academy". NCES. Archived from the original on August 18, 2023. Retrieved August 18, 2023.
  2. Wendell Rawls Jr. (October 26, 1979). "Students in Carter's Home County Continue Boycott of Public Schools". The New York Times. p. A16.
  3. King, Wayne (January 28, 1979). "Crumbling School in Plains Mired in Consolidation Drive". The New York Times. p. 24. Retrieved January 2, 2020. That neglect, they contend, forces those who can afford it, mostly whites, to send their children to other schools, mainly Sumter's private Southland Academy, that sprang up to circumvent school integration.
  4. "South Leads the Country In School Desegregation; Some Dramatic Progress Schools Still Segregated", The New York Times, May 9, 1979.
  5. King, Wayne (January 28, 1979). "Crumbling School in Plains Mired in Consolidation Drive". The New York Times. Retrieved December 26, 2018.
  6. Casey, Nicholas (October 25, 2020). "A Voting Rights Battle in a School Board 'Coup'". The New York Times.
  7. "Sumter boycott continues". Rome News-Tribune. Rome, GA. Associated Press. October 24, 1979. p. 9A.
  8. Morrison, David (May 16, 1979). "Flaws appear in the picture of school desegregation in Carter county". Atlanta Journal Constitution. p. 23.
  9. Bowes, Billy (February 20, 1985). "All white school board stays that way". Detroit Free Press. p. 1A.
  10. Grimm, Fred (March 16, 1984). "Georgia board reigns over shabby schools". Detroit Free Press. p. 7B.
  11. Atkinson, Rick (April 1, 1984). "Segregation Rises Again In Many Southern Schools". The Washington Post. Retrieved January 2, 2020.
  12. Southland Academy page, Local School Directory.
  13. "Private School Universe Survey". National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved December 4, 2017.
  14. GISA Stats.
  15. "Home".
  16. "Southland wins region golf title by 6 strokes", Americus Times-Recorder, April 21, 2009.
  17. "Miss SAR Pageant to be held March 21", Americus Times-Recorder, March 11, 2009.
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