Franklin Road Academy

In the 1970s, FRA headmaster Bill Bradshaw was reported to wear a Confederate Army uniform to special events.[3][4]

Franklin Road Academy was founded in 1971 as a segregation academy in response to the court ordered racial integration of public schools.[5] FRA's leaders claimed the school was established to provide a sound, Christian, education in a safer environment, but the sociologist Jennifer Dyer has argued that the school's stated objectives were simply a guise for the school's actual objective of allowing parents to avoid enrolling their children in racially integrated public schools.[2][6] FRA's first mascot was the Rebels and the school prominently flew the confederate flag.[3]

In a 1980 retrospective interview, founder and headmaster Bill Bradshaw recalled that in the early 1970s, "escape from busing was probably definitely a factor" in the school's initial growth, but he denied that the school was established to avoid desegregation.[3] Bradshaw, who was pictured in the 1979 yearbook in a Confederate Army uniform, acknowledged that the school's Confederate iconography meant that blacks "may have thought" that they were unwelcome at the school, but he expressed hope "in time, that will change."[3] Bradshaw argued that the private school's tuition costs were the main reason few black students enrolled. Bradshaw also noted that blacks "have been inclined to stay in their own groups", referring to the integration of a historically black elementary school in Nashville that was opposed by some African-Americans.[3]

Inquiries from parents to FRA tripled in 1980 after court rulings expanded desegregation busing in Nashville.[7] At the time, only one of Franklin Road's 745 students was black.[3]

In March 1981, the entire board of directors and headmaster Bill Bradshaw resigned in a dispute with First Christian Church, which owned the building used by the school. Football coach Gene Andrews was appointed interim headmaster.[8] On June 3, 1982, Franklin Road Academy became an independent organization styled Franklin Road Academy, Inc. Following its incorporation, FRA received accreditation from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.

In 1983, an anonymous donor provided funds to add a second floor to the high school for the creation of a middle school. Four years later, FRA raised $3 million through a capital campaign for the construction of a separate lower school (elementary school). In 1988, the new lower school was dedicated as Danner Hall.[9]

The school stopped flying the Confederate flag in 1991.[10] Headmaster Bill Campbell said the flag was removed to ensure all students and visiting sports teams felt welcome and comfortable at the school.[11] In a guest editorial in The Tennessean, former FRA football coach and interim headmaster Gene Andrews criticized the change, accusing FRA of "turning its back on its heritage" and ignoring the sacrifices made in support of the "just cause" of southern independence.[12]

In 1997, FRA stopped using the Rebels as its athletics mascot.

In 1997, FRA stopped using Rebels as its team name and became the Big Blue. The school had begun to tone down use of the mascot in the early 1990s to make the school more welcoming to minorities. Assistant principal Gary Clarke stated that "We felt, of course, there was a lot of tradition at the school with the Rebels, but we also have to realize that the Rebel flag may be offensive to some." School official stated that the final move was to attract a more diverse study body". The FRA football coach, George Weicker, told The Tennessean that the retirement of the mascot was partially because of the unease the Confederate imagery caused to Dennis Harrison, a former NFL player who was the first black assistant coach at the school. Weicker said that he asked Harrison how he felt about the mascot and what its symbolism meant to him. Weicker said that Harrison told him the mascott made him feel "uncomfortable".[13]

In 1994, the George A. Volkert Athletic Complex was completed. Referred to as "The Hill" by students and faculty, the complex houses a football stadium, baseball stadium, tennis courts, a track, and a softball field.

During the 1990s, FRA partnered with IBM to give middle school students laptop computers. This early introduction of technology to middle school students turned out to be burdensome and was later discontinued.

In 1999, FRA completed a $7 million middle school and fine arts building. The three-story building houses approximately 300 students in the fifth through eighth grades in one building. The same building also features a theatre as well as two art rooms, a band room, a choir room, four practice rooms with pianos, and a dance studio.[14]

By 2016, enrollment had increased to 716 students. Six percent (43 students) were Black and three percent (23 students) identified as Hispanic.[1]

In February 2014, Sean Casey became the next Head of School for Franklin Road Academy.

In 2006–2007, the school expanded and improved its campus in a $12 million project.[15] It acquired 12 acres (4.9 ha) of First Christian Church property, bringing the campus to 55 acres (22 ha).[16] It built a new math and science building of 26,300 square feet (2,440 m²) and a library and technology center of14,500 square feet (1,350 m²). The main school building was renovated to serve athletics and humanities. The new and renovated buildings form a central quadrangle. The school's original classrooms in the former church property were also renovated for foreign language classes. Moving the books into the new Library and Technology Center from the old library took a total of 4 days and the involvement of approximately 600 students.[17]

Franklin Road Academy opened a new innovation science lab that not only extends use to students at FRA but also students in Metro Nashville Public Schools (MNPS). The lab is outfitted with items that include a robotics arena, two 3D printers, a laser cutter and a 3D carver. Nashville Mayor Megan Barry helped dedicate the space. Franklin Road Academy head of school states that "it's a great opportunity to build a collective educational opportunity for everyone." The partnership extends to a summer program where students learn STEAM (Science, technology, engineering, art and math) skills so that student can go onto college and be successful.[18]