No more MPSA...
- Thread starter Maroon Eagle
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I've got a nephew who graduated from a GISA (Georgia Independent School Association) school and his graduating class had several people who excelled-- about a quarter of his class went to very prestigious and selective schools (NYU, Washington-St. Louis, an Ivy League school whose name escapes me) and he went to Duke where he'll be a sophomore.
I spoke with my old buddy from high school this weekend catching up with him and his family. His daugther plays basketball for East Rankin Academy in Pelahatchie, they have a pretty good team and won state last year, they lost two girls off that team. Anyway, they have been playing the public schools this summer at different camps and went 4-1 against them, they beat two 2A, one 3A, one 4A and lost by two points to Wayne County which is about 10 times the size of ERA. The AAA team went deep in the public school state tournament last year. I know things are probably different on the boys side but this should dispell any arguments on the girls side. Pot stirred.
the MHSAA should extend an invitation to the 13 or so private schools that hold SACS accreditation and use the Alabama formula of giving private schools a 1.3 index. So, if Prep had 500 students, they would be classified like they had 650 (4A).
Jackson Prep
Jackson Academy
Hillcrest Christian
University Christian
Magnolia Heights
Starkville Academy
Heritage Academy
Oak Hill Academy
The Lamar School
Adams County Christian School
there are three more that escape my mind at this time. These are the schools that hold the same level of academic accreditation as the good public schools.
The rest of the MPSA/MAIS can be like the AISA in Alabama - they still play, but no one pays attention. When I was in high school, our local AISA school, Pickens Academy won like 6 straight state championships in football. The local paper would only cover the championship game every year. Plus, not to offend anyone on this board that may have gone to school there, but the level of education received at that small, rural academy (90 percent of the MPSA) was subpar to say the least. Sure, they had a couple of people score high on the ACT and get good scholarships, but the majority of the class was just not that bright.
Jackson Prep
Jackson Academy
Hillcrest Christian
University Christian
Magnolia Heights
Starkville Academy
Heritage Academy
Oak Hill Academy
The Lamar School
Adams County Christian School
there are three more that escape my mind at this time. These are the schools that hold the same level of academic accreditation as the good public schools.
The rest of the MPSA/MAIS can be like the AISA in Alabama - they still play, but no one pays attention. When I was in high school, our local AISA school, Pickens Academy won like 6 straight state championships in football. The local paper would only cover the championship game every year. Plus, not to offend anyone on this board that may have gone to school there, but the level of education received at that small, rural academy (90 percent of the MPSA) was subpar to say the least. Sure, they had a couple of people score high on the ACT and get good scholarships, but the majority of the class was just not that bright.
looked it up - others are ..
Bayou Academy in Cleveland
Brookhaven Academy
Canton Academy
Central Hinds Academy
Copiah Academy
Greenville Christian
Columbus Immanuel
Indianola Academy
Kirk Academy
Madison Ridgeland Academy
Clarksdale - Lee Academy
Marshall Academy
Parklane Academy
Porter's Chapel Academy
Hattiesburg - Presbyterian Christian
Trinity Episcopal
Washington School
My mistake - at one point there were only 13, now there seems to be around 25. Still very few compare to the 180 or so MPSA.
Bayou Academy in Cleveland
Brookhaven Academy
Canton Academy
Central Hinds Academy
Copiah Academy
Greenville Christian
Columbus Immanuel
Indianola Academy
Kirk Academy
Madison Ridgeland Academy
Clarksdale - Lee Academy
Marshall Academy
Parklane Academy
Porter's Chapel Academy
Hattiesburg - Presbyterian Christian
Trinity Episcopal
Washington School
My mistake - at one point there were only 13, now there seems to be around 25. Still very few compare to the 180 or so MPSA.
Yes, MHSAA schools are accredited by Miss. Dept. of Education, based on a wide range of both academic and financial criteria. Also many public schools are accredited by SACS - the Southern Association of College and Schools. The same accrediting association that most colleges are accredited through.
When I got to juco I realized that in chemistry I was way behind the curve. However, in math and english I was in great shape. It really just depends.
Also, allow me to make one point here. Where I came from, the level of education at private, even with its problems, was still far better than public.
Also, allow me to make one point here. Where I came from, the level of education at private, even with its problems, was still far better than public.
she's been in some of those private schools that are seeking accreditation. One school had a teacher teaching Physics that had never had a Physics course (college or high school), two teachers that did not even have a degree (one teaching Algebra), and an administrator that only had a PE degree (former coach, moved up without getting an admin degree)
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that works out to about 425, 9-12, if Mississippi used the Alabama formula, you would be a low 4A. Jackson Academy would be the only school I think that would be pushing 5A - the rest would max out at 4A and none would be 1A because of the indexing.
I fully believe that within 3-5 years, Prep would be a force in 4A sports, sans basketball. Raymond will own 4A.
I fully believe that within 3-5 years, Prep would be a force in 4A sports, sans basketball. Raymond will own 4A.
lets look at University Christian and MRA, for example
University Christian is probably in one of the best locations for a private school in Mississippi. Lakeland Drive, right by the Reservoir area (pretty high incomes and out of staters that would send their kids to private school), yet they just got their accreditation in April. That school is a 1A school that again, is in a great location for a private school. Because the local public schools (Northwest Rankin) are among the best in the state, and they did not have their accreditation, they have not been able to grow.
MRA is pretty much the same school as UCS. Located in an affluent area, etc. But, they have had their accreditation and they are the second largest private school (JA) in Mississippi, despite pulling from a smaller population base than UCS but competing with a great public school (Madison Central).
The accreditation is important, period.
University Christian is probably in one of the best locations for a private school in Mississippi. Lakeland Drive, right by the Reservoir area (pretty high incomes and out of staters that would send their kids to private school), yet they just got their accreditation in April. That school is a 1A school that again, is in a great location for a private school. Because the local public schools (Northwest Rankin) are among the best in the state, and they did not have their accreditation, they have not been able to grow.
MRA is pretty much the same school as UCS. Located in an affluent area, etc. But, they have had their accreditation and they are the second largest private school (JA) in Mississippi, despite pulling from a smaller population base than UCS but competing with a great public school (Madison Central).
The accreditation is important, period.
425 high school students used to be 3A in Mississippi but I'm not sure how the move to 6 classifications affected the groups below the old 5A, if it affected them at all. Ten years ago my high school had around 600 students and was almost the smallest 4A school in the state.
because they can "recruit." See St. Paul's-Mobile. 5A all-sports champion every year in Alabama, they have about 30 percent less students than the smallest 5A school. However, they get some pretty good athletes from Mobile, thus Mobile Public Schools sports suck, sans LeFlore.
I don't think MRA is anywhere close to being the second largest private school in the state unless their elementary enrollment is tremendous. From memory, I seem to recall that Prep, JA, Pillow, Washington, Hillcrest, and Starkville all had larger high school enrollment than MRA back when I was in High School.
http://high-schools.com/report/ms/private-school-enrollment-rank-in-mississippi.html
For arguments sakes, I know this website is far for legit. After you throw out St. Andrew's and SBEC, MRA growing to #2 is possible.
For arguments sakes, I know this website is far for legit. After you throw out St. Andrew's and SBEC, MRA growing to #2 is possible.
to drop the "private school" label. Other states use "independent school" as their association name.
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