| Address | 1 Nancy Drive |
|---|---|
| City | Canton |
| State | Mississippi |
| County | Madison County |
| Zipcode | 39046 |
| Country | USA |
| Coordinates | 32.5998342°N 90.016471°W |
| Opened | January 1970 |
| District | MAIS 3AAA |
| Head | Jimmy Nix III[1] |
| Head label | Head of School |
| Teaching staff | 28.9[2] |
| Grades | K–12 |
| Enrollment | 366 |
| Enrollment as of | 2026[2] |
| Colors | Black and Gold |
| Fight song | CA is forever Herman today, forward to battle eager for the praise, everyone is loyal none turn their back, cheers for the varsity of gold and black |
| Athletic conference | MAIS |
| Mascot | Panthers |
| Team name | Panthers |
| Accreditation | Midsouth Association of Independent Schools |
| Website | cantonacademy.org |
| Lastupdate | 9 January 2026 |
Canton Academy is a private school in Canton, Mississippi, which was established in 1970 to formally preserve racial segregation in schools.[4]: 72
History
Canton opened in January 1970 as a segregation academy. The school's founders, officially known as the Canton Academic Foundation, were so concerned about the impact of school desegregation that they accepted white students from families they knew could not afford tuition.[4] Canton Academy board president J. D. Weeks said that he "anticipat[ed] the public school system of Canton would be virtually all black".[5] In the school's first year, all but one white high school senior withdrew from Canton Rogers High School and enrolled in Canton Academy.[4]: 73
Canton Academy was initially housed in an abandoned tent factory.[4]: 75 The curriculum was reported to be similar to public schools, but with an extra focus on the "evils of communism".[4]: 76
In the case Coffey v. State Educational Finance Commission (1969), the United States District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi found that "No Negro pupils would be admitted to the private school."[6][7]
Sports
Canton competes in shooting sports against Jackson Preparatory School and Tri-County Academy.[8] The school sponsors a Twenty Guns in Twenty Days raffle to support athletics.[9]
Demographics
In the 2025-2026 school year, the school had an enrollment of 366 in pre-kindergarten through 12th grade.[2] A survey conducted for the 2019-2020 school year included enrollment by race and ethnicity for 252 students, of whom 3 were Asian (1.2%), 10 were Black (3.9%), 3 were Hispanic (1.2%), 233 were White (92.5%), and 3 were two or more races (1.2%).[10]
Notable people
Glenn Boyce, chancellor of the University of Mississippi, coached football at Canton Academy. In 2019, Boyce was criticized for his past affiliation with segregation academies like Canton Academy.[11]
Alumni
- Reed Stringer (1979–), college football coach[12]
References
- ^ "Canton Academy Names Jimmy Nix III as Head of School". Canton Academy. Archived 29 April 2026 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 29 April 2026.
Canton Academy has named veteran educator and award-winning teacher Jimmy Nix III as its new Head of School
- ^ "Private School Universe Survey". National Center for Education Statistics. Archived 29 April 2026 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 29 April 2026.
- ^ Klein, Rebecca (2018-12-14). "Schools That Were Segregation Academies Now Ban Pregnant And LGBTQ Students". HuffPost. Retrieved 2026-04-30.
- ^ Loewen, James (1973). SCHOOL DESEGREGATION IN MISSISSIPPI
- ^ "School districts quiet". Florida Today. January 6, 1970. p. 3A.
- ^ "Coffey v. State Educational Finance Commission". U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi. January 29, 1969. Retrieved 6 January 2018.
- ^ Cooper, Maudine (1971). "Tax Exempt Status of Private Segregated Schools under 501(c) (3) - Internal Revenue Code Note". Howard Law Journal. 16: 391.
- ^ Broom, Brian (May 26, 2016). "Scholastic Shooting Sports Program championship results". Clarion Ledger. Retrieved 6 January 2018.
- ^ "Gun Give-Away January 2018". Canton Academy. Archived from the original on January 7, 2018. Retrieved 6 January 2018.
- ^ "Canton Academy". National Center for Education Statistics. Archived 3 October 2023 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 3 October 2023.
- ^ Payne, Daniel (October 5, 2009). "New chancellor worked at three 'segregation academies' early in his career". The Daily Mississippian. Retrieved 2020-06-16.
- ^ "Former CA players honored". Madison County Herald. January 25, 2021. p. 9. Retrieved October 21, 2024. – via Newspapers.com
Bibliography
- Bolton, Charles C. The Hardest Deal of All: The Battle Over School Integration in Mississippi, 1870-1980. University Press of Mississippi, 2005. ISBN 1604730609, 9781604730609.
- Cobb, James Charles. The Most Southern Place on Earth: The Mississippi Delta and the Roots of Regional Identity. Oxford University Press, 1994. ISBN 0195089138, 9780195089134.