Not a good start to 2026 for Jackson Academy

[615dawg]

Hillcrest is still open? They used to be one of the bigger schools, great baseball teams when I played. I just haven't heard anything about them in over a decade.

They are open. Someone told me that a significant amount of their students are coming from one church in South Jackson, so much that they have to placate to that church on things.

They are playing 8-man football. Used to be in the same league as Prep, MRA and JA. Had a couple of good football seasons in the late 90s and early oughts. Always a baseball/basketball power.

 

[OG Goat Holder]

They are open. Someone told me that a significant amount of their students are coming from one church in South Jackson, so much that they have to placate to that church on things.

They are playing 8-man football. Used to be in the same league as Prep, MRA and JA. Had a couple of good football seasons in the late 90s and early oughts. Always a baseball/basketball power.

When SoJack fell precipitously in the 90s, it built Hillcrest. Byram and Terry too. But the fall was so fast that even those folks jumped ship over to Brandon, so HC only had about 10-15 years in the sun. The problem was always Hinds County. Area just too suburban and couldn't hang on.

I don't think JA will fall THAT much, but again, the decline of NEJ north of Eastover up to County Line round has been absolutely astounding. Not as bad as McDowell Road. The only saving grace is being so close to the few attractive things in Jackson. There's a splattering of things over there but not not enough of a consolidation.

 

[skip dog]

this is really disappointing. That area and Jackson for that area needs JA to be a healthy institution

There are alot of good people and families @ JA. Really, really good people.

it is known, and also obvious what JA did in recruiting.

Frankly, I would respect them more if they would just own up, resolve the issue, and move in a better direction.

I think the Voyles suit against JA et.al. is childish.....Like, really.......a grown adult that holds a high position in a mega million dollar construction dn development company is creating documents & about instagram page about 17/18 yo kids.......Like, take a look in the mirror.....

I would be troubled as a parent if my childs opportunity to play was being overridden by recruits......and I would go tot he school/board, and deal with it

Now, what JA came back with in parts of a email to apparently tarnish C. Voyles......All i can say is that I know you allowed that at the advice of your counsel, BUT, you also have the choice to be the "adult" in the room, and make a better decision in representation of the institution that is JA. Frankly, shame on the board and the headmaster for taking the low road and playing in the pit that satisfies the childishness of J.Voyles.

****What would I tell me son (attends another school), put the work in, and earn your playing time.....Life is not fair, but we overcome no matter what.

JA & the Voyles are both wrong, and in my humble commoner opinion, the Voyles need to enjoy try-county, and learn how to exist in the background, and JA need to re-organize a bit and act like the institution the proclaim to be

*I'm a lifelong Northeast Jackson resident, and a long time ago graduate of JA (a school that I am very thankful for)

 

[vhdawg]

When SoJack fell precipitously in the 90s, it built Hillcrest. Byram and Terry too. But the fall was so fast that even those folks jumped ship over to Brandon, so HC only had about 10-15 years in the sun. The problem was always Hinds County. Area just too suburban and couldn't hang on.

I don't think JA will fall THAT much, but again, the decline of NEJ north of Eastover up to County Line round has been absolutely astounding. Not as bad as McDowell Road. The only saving grace is being so close to the few attractive things in Jackson. There's a splattering of things over there but not not enough of a consolidation.

I have been told as well that there were a couple of specific incidents with administration several years back that ended with groups of families bouncing to Copiah Academy and to Central Hinds Academy, and that did lasting damage to Hillcrest.

 

[johnson86-1]

this is really disappointing. That area and Jackson for that area needs JA to be a healthy institution

There are alot of good people and families @ JA. Really, really good people.

it is known, and also obvious what JA did in recruiting.

Frankly, I would respect them more if they would just own up, resolve the issue, and move in a better direction.

I think the Voyles suit against JA et.al. is childish.....Like, really.......a grown adult that holds a high position in a mega million dollar construction dn development company is creating documents & about instagram page about 17/18 yo kids.......Like, take a look in the mirror.....

I would be troubled as a parent if my childs opportunity to play was being overridden by recruits......and I would go tot he school/board, and deal with it

That's not how school boards typically work. The board either made the decision or signed off on the decision to go all in on recruiting. If you want to change their mind, you typically can't just go in their and convince them to flip. You need support, and you get that by talking to other parents. In fact, it looks like they tried your approach. I assume the letter to the headmaster was an attempt to try to get the school to back off of recruiting.

And while I don't think a high school diploma from JA means anything, based on the fact that parents are paying something like $200k to send a child there from elementary through high school, it was probably a dumb idea for the school to treat actually graduating from JA as something insignificant.

Now, what JA came back with in parts of a email to apparently tarnish C. Voyles......All i can say is that I know you allowed that at the advice of your counsel, BUT, you also have the choice to be the "adult" in the room, and make a better decision in representation of the institution that is JA. Frankly, shame on the board and the headmaster for taking the low road and playing in the pit that satisfies the childishness of J.Voyles.

****What would I tell me son (attends another school), put the work in, and earn your playing time.....Life is not fair, but we overcome no matter what.

JA & the Voyles are both wrong, and in my humble commoner opinion, the Voyles need to enjoy try-county, and learn how to exist in the background, and JA need to re-organize a bit and act like the institution the proclaim to be

*I'm a lifelong Northeast Jackson resident, and a long time ago graduate of JA (a school that I am very thankful for)

If you think JA should act like the institution it proclaims to be, there's no reason to think the Voyles did anything wrong. Maybe they could have done things more tactfully, but people that want JA to be better should be pleased that somebody else took the PR hit and sacrifices to pressure JA to be better.

 

[skip dog]

That's not how school boards typically work. The board either made the decision or signed off on the decision to go all in on recruiting. If you want to change their mind, you typically can't just go in their and convince them to flip. You need support, and you get that by talking to other parents. In fact, it looks like they tried your approach. I assume the letter to the headmaster was an attempt to try to get the school to back off of recruiting.

And while I don't think a high school diploma from JA means anything, based on the fact that parents are paying something like $200k to send a child there from elementary through high school, it was probably a dumb idea for the school to treat actually graduating from JA as something insignificant.


If you think JA should act like the institution it proclaims to be, there's no reason to think the Voyles did anything wrong. Maybe they could have done things more tactfully, but people that want JA to be better should be pleased that somebody else took the PR hit and sacrifices to pressure JA to be better.

I hear you…… just don’t agree with you