The Heritage School (Newnan, Georgia)

The Heritage School is a co-educational private school in Newnan, Georgia, United States. It was established in 1970 and has been described as a segregation academy.[3] The school is a member of the Georgia Independent School Association (GISA),[4] and is accredited by the Southern Association of Independent Schools (SAIS).[5]

The Heritage School
Address
2093 Highway 29 North

Newnan
,
Georgia
30263

United States
Coordinates33.4281911°N 84.7602026°W / 33.4281911; -84.7602026
Information
TypePrivate school
MottoThink Beyond.
Established1970 (1970)
NCES School ID00297361[1]
Head of schoolKristin Skelly[2]
Teaching staff42.3 (on a FTE basis)[1]
GradesPK-12
GenderCo-educational
Enrollment425 (including 11 Pre-K students)[1] (2015-2016)
Student to teacher ratio9.8[1]
Campus typeSuburban
Color(s)Red, white, blue    
Athletics conferenceGHSA
MascotHawk
NicknameHawks
AccreditationsSouthern Association of Independent Schools
Websitewww.heritageschool.com

History

In 1969, the Newnan City Council discussed the founding of the school and "how to keep the niggers out."[6] The school was founded in 1970, and the school received a tax-exemption based on its non-discriminatory policy.[7]:1997 Before opening, the school ran newspaper advertisements informing the community of its non-discriminatory policy, but school leaders conceded that they did not expect any black applicants. The head of the local NAACP charged that the school only made the non-discriminatory pledge so it could retain its tax deduction while knowing no blacks would enroll due to the high tuition.[8]

The IRS decision to grant tax exempt status to the school was investigated by Senate Select Committee on Equal Education Opportunity. Senator Walter Mondale asked IRS commissioner Randolph W. Thrower to explain why the school had been granted tax exempt status in light of reports the school's headmaster told an undercover NAACP investigator that "no black applicants were expected" but the investigator's children could apply if they "had $750 in their ass pocket."[7][9]:2021[10][11]

When the school opened in 1970, as a segregation academy,[3] it was not accredited.[12]

Athletics

In 2018, the school joined the Georgia High School Association in the 4-A private division.[13] It previously competed in the Georgia Independent School Association, which consisted primarily of former segregation academies.

Demographics

The demographic breakdown of the 414 K-12 students enrolled for 2015-16 was:[1]

  • Asian - 3.1%
  • Black - 3.6%
  • Hispanic - 2.2%
  • White - 88.4%
  • Multiracial - 2.7%

National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) does not compile demographic information for Pre-K students.

References
  1. "Search for Private Schools – School Detail for The Heritage School". National Center for Education Statistics. Institute of Education Sciences. Retrieved February 9, 2019.
  2. "Welcome from The Head". The Heritage School. Retrieved 9 February 2019.
  3. Mitchell, Walter (December 15, 2016). "Not you, Atticus". Foxboro, Massachusetts: Sun Chronicle. Retrieved May 8, 2020.
  4. "List Of Member Schools – Georgia Independent School Association". Retrieved 2019-05-23.
  5. "Heritage School - SAIS". www.sais.org. Retrieved 2019-05-23.
  6. Anderson, Robert E. (March 1971). "The South and Her Children: School Desegregation" (PDF). pp. 74, 75. Retrieved 13 August 2020.
  7. Select Committee on Equal Educational Opportunity (1970). Equal Educational Opportunity: Hearings Before the Select Committee on Equal Educational Opportunity, Ninety-first Congress, Second Session-92nd Congress, First Session. 10. U.S. Government Printing Office. Retrieved 14 January 2018.
  8. Reich, Kenneth (August 8, 1970). "No-Bias School Gets No Black Applications". Los Angeles Times. p. 8E.
  9. Letter from Bob Vader, NAACP, to Senator Walter Mondale; August 7, 1970; Published in the Congressional Record
  10. Clymber, Adam (August 13, 1970). "IRS is attacked on 'academies' — Mondale says exemptions are based on 'hoax'". The Baltimore Sun. p. 1.
  11. Reich, Kenneth (March 28, 1971). "Administration Deceit Charge in Integration". Los Angeles Times. p. 4H.
  12. Bowler, Mike (August 6, 1970). "Private school issues no-bias policy". Atlanta Journal Constitution. p. 11b.
  13. "Revisiting GHSA region alignments for upcoming season". Retrieved 14 August 2020.
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