Copiah Academy


Copiah Academy is an independent, coeducational, school for students in grades K3-12. The Copiah Educational Foundation established the school in 1967 as a segregation academy. The school is located in Copiah County, near the unincorporated community of Gallman, Mississippi.

Demographics

The demographic breakdown of the 695 K-12 students enrolled in 2013-2014:
Copiah Academy's first classes were held in 1967 in Hazlehurst, Mississippi, just a few miles south of its current location. In 1970 the school moved to its current location on a 30 acre site.
Copiah Academy began taking steps to achieve accreditation by the Mississippi Private School Association, an accreditation agency for segregation academics.
Although founded as a school for white students, Copiah Academy now claims that it is open to college-bound students of any race, color, creed, religion, gender, or ethnic origin, but as of the 2013-2014 school year, the student body was 98.4% non-Hispanic white in a county where the overall percentage of non-Hispanic white people was 44.9%. New students in grades 6-12 must be drug tested at their parents expense before being admitted, and all students in grades 6-12 will be subjected to at least one random drug test per school year.

Discipline

There is a demerit system for misbehaving students, with 10 demerits leading to one detention. For significant offenses in grades 3 through 12, Copiah Academy's policy is to administer corporal punishment "at the discretion and at the direction of the Headmaster."

Student life

include student council, academic honors societies, band, dance team, cheerleading, visual arts classes and exhibits, drama and musical theater productions; and golf, tennis, baseball, fast-pitched softball, soccer, football, track and field, and other special interest teams.

Notable alumni