Arendell Parrott Academy is a

non-sectarian Nonsectarian institutions are secular institutions or other organizations not affiliated with or restricted to a particular religious group. Academic sphere Examples of US universities that identify themselves as being nonsectarian include Adelp ...

private school Private or privates may refer to: Music * " In Private", by Dusty Springfield from the 1990 album ''Reputation'' * Private (band), a Denmark-based band * "Private" (Ryōko Hirosue song), from the 1999 album ''Private'', written and also recorde ...

located in

Kinston, North Carolina Kinston is a city in Lenoir County, North Carolina, United States, with a population of 21,677 as of the 2010 census. It has been the county seat of Lenoir County since its formation in 1791. Kinston is located in the coastal plains region of e ...

, for grades K–12. The school was the vision of Marion Parrot, a local attorney and state representative. After struggling for a few years to gain support, the untimely death of their son, Arendall, provided the inspiration to Parrott family to open the school. However, their efforts did not come to fruition for several years, when Federally forced desegregation of the public schools created an interest among White Parents to flee to private schools. While there were no Black students, some people linked to the school deny that it was founded as a

segregation academy Segregation academies are private schools in the Southern United States that were founded in the mid-20th century by white parents to avoid having their children attend desegregated public schools. They were founded between 1954, when the U.S. ...

in response to the court ordered integration of public schools, while one founder stated that it was not a choice for Black students.

History

The school was founded by Lillian Parrott and her husband Marion A. Parrott, a former member of the North Carolina General Assembly and attorney. In 1964, the Parrotts, along with several others opened Arendell Parrott Academy, named after the Parrotts deceased son, Marion Arendell Parrott Jr. According to Lillian, "The school was perceived as not being a viable choice for all of the students; it was not integrated." of land was donated for the school in 1965, and by 1971 the school consisted of

kindergarten Kindergarten is a preschool educational approach based on playing, singing, practical activities such as drawing, and social interaction as part of the transition from home to school. Such institutions were originally made in the late 18th cent ...

through twelfth grade. In 1992, the school became nationally accredited, which meant that colleges and universities considered Parrott's quality of education sufficient to consider accepting students from the academy. In 2003, the school suffered minor damage from the

West Pharmaceutical Services explosion The West Pharmaceutical Plant explosion was an industrial disaster that occurred on January 29, 2003 at the West Pharmaceutical Plant in Kinston, North Carolina, United States. Six people were killed and thirty-six people were injured when a large ...

. Many windows burst in and a student was injured by broken glass.

Demographics

In 2010, 90% percent of students were white. In contrast,

Lenoir County Lenoir County is a county in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, its population was 55,122. Its county seat is Kinston, located on the Neuse River, across which the county has its territory. Lenoir County comprises the K ...

was only 52% white. Students come from across a ten county area in Eastern North Carolina. In 2016, the school enrollment was 88% white, while the area population was 57.9% non-white. In 2018, the school was 95% White.

External links

School website

References

{{authority control Schools in Lenoir County, North Carolina Private high schools in North Carolina Private middle schools in North Carolina Private elementary schools in North Carolina Segregation academies in North Carolina