Hampton Roads Academy is a

private 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 ...

, independent,

co-educational Mixed-sex education, also known as mixed-gender education, co-education, or coeducation (abbreviated to co-ed or coed), is a system of education where males and females are educated together. Whereas single-sex education was more common up to t ...

, day school in

Newport News, Virginia Newport News () is an independent city in the U.S. state of Virginia. At the 2020 census, the population was 186,247. Located in the Hampton Roads region, it is the 5th most populous city in Virginia and 140th most populous city in the Uni ...

serving 644 students in grades Pre-K through twelve, and part of the

Tidewater Conference of Independent Schools The Tidewater Conference of Independent Schools (TCIS) is a 10-team athletic conference in the Tidewater region of Virginia. Prior to the 2004 school year, the TCIS had tournaments for JV and Middle School teams as well as Varsity. Now, the TCI ...

. HRA is accredited through the

Virginia Association of Independent Schools Virginia Association of Independent Schools (VAIS) is a non-profit, voluntary membership association of schools within the state of Virginia. The VAIS is a member of the National Association of Independent Schools. Prior to its establishment in Ch ...

, and is a member of the

National Association of Independent Schools The National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) is a U.S.-based membership organization for private, nonprofit, K-12 schools. Founded in 1962, NAIS represents independent schools and associations in the United States, including day, boar ...

. The average class size is 16, and there were 65 students in the Class of 2017. The school was founded in 1959, in the context of

massive resistance Massive resistance was a strategy declared by U.S. Senator Harry F. Byrd Sr. of Virginia and his brother-in-law James M. Thomson, who represented Alexandria in the Virginia General Assembly, to get the state's white politicians to pass laws and p ...

, 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. ...

History

Mission and History

Hampton Roads Academy was founded in 1959 as a

with a student body of sixty all white students in grades seven through eleven. The school's founder, Hampton physician Russell von Lehn Buxton, who became the first chairman of the Board of Trustees, explained that the school was established to avoid the "limitations and constraints imposed on the public school system." Buxton, a graduate of

Princeton Princeton University is a private research university in Princeton, New Jersey. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and one of the nine ...

and the

University of Pennsylvania Medical School The Perelman School of Medicine, commonly known as Penn Med, is the medical school of the University of Pennsylvania, a private research university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1765, the Perelman School of Medicine is the oldest medi ...

remained on the board until 1988.

Funding and Construction

In 1959, the State Corporation Commission granted Hampton Roads Academy a charter to begin construction. The school's board of trustees turned to the community and to the First National Bank to raise funding. In May 1959, Hampton Roads Academy secretary Pauline Trimpi signed a contract to begin construction of the $113,000 project on May 15.

1960s

Hampton Roads Academy awarded their first graduating class in 1961, just two years after the school's founding. Throughout the 1960s, the school continued to raise funds, increase student enrollment, build new facilities, and add student programs. Notable additions to the school during this time included an expanded library, faculty houses, a multipurpose room, a cafeteria, and the student newspaper. In 1961, the school earned accreditation from the Virginia Board of Education.

1970s

The school admitted its first black student around 1970, the start of an intentional process to diversify and become inclusive. Hampton Roads Academy continued to expand its facilities, completing construction of the Joseph Carpenter Gym in 1973, building new athletic fields and tennis courts, and paving the parking lot. In 1976, the Hampton Roads Academy Advancement Office was established, and in 1979, the school's first Middle School was created with the addition of grade six.

1980s

In 1980, Hampton Roads Academy hired fundraising consulting firm Marts & Lundy to assist in the Silver Anniversary Campaign. Three years later, the school reached its campaign goal of $750,000. Excess donations were used to purchase school computers. The 1980s also saw the creation of the school's parent volunteer program, international exchange student program, Grandparent's Day, and the construction of a new auditorium.

1990s

In the 1990s, Hampton Roads Academy continued to expand school facilities using gifts and donations. Notable developments include the expansion of Upper School, the addition of an arts & crafts wing, and the creation of a new library.

2000s

The beginning of the 2000s saw vast improvements to Hampton Roads Academy's athletic facilities. These improvements included the construction of a new baseball field, football bleachers, a press box, and the resurfacing of the track. In 2005, the Hampton Roads Country Day School began renting out space at Hampton Roads Academy. Three years later, the Hampton Roads Country Day School merged with Hampton Roads Academy, becoming a Pre-K-12 institution. In 2009, Hampton Roads Academy celebrated its 50th anniversary.

2019

On February 11, 2019, HRA held a groundbreaking ceremony on construction for a 400-seat full-service dining hall, a new Lower School wing with 12 spacious classrooms, an Innovation Lab/Makerspace, and a unique 1,000 square foot hydroponics lab.

2020

In January, 2020 the school had 615 students, from pre-kindergarten to 12th grade.

Demographics

During a recent academic year, the student body was 78.2% White, 9.6% African-American, 6.7% Asian, 5.1% Hispanic, and 0.3% Pacific Islander.

References

External links

Official site
{{Authority control Private K-12 schools in Virginia Educational institutions established in 1959 Schools in Newport News, Virginia Segregation academies in Virginia High schools in Newport News, Virginia 1959 establishments in Virginia