Houston Academy

Houston Academy
File:Houston Academy.jpg Houston Academy's Main Office entrance
Location
901 Buena Vista Drive Dothan, Alabama United States
Coordinates
Information
Type	Independent
Established	1970
Headmaster	Dr. Scott D. Phillipps
Color(s)	Royal Blue and Columbia Blue
Mascot	Raider
Website	www.houstonacademy.com

Houston Academy is a college preparatory school in Dothan, Alabama. HA offers day schooling for grades 3P through twelve.

History

Houston Academy is a co-educational day school for three-year-old preschool through twelfth grade. The nineteen-acre campus is located in one of Dothan's upper middle class residential areas. Located in the southeast corner of Alabama, Dothan is a community of approximately 67,000. It offers cultural and recreational activities as well as a community college and a four-year university.

Segregation

The school was founded in 1970 in response to integration of the public schools in Dothan, as a way to maintain segregated schooling under the guise of private education. Segregation academies sprang up all over the Southern US and are still known as "seg academies". Today, Houston student body remains almost 99 percent white.

Campus

The campus, which was renovated in 1995, features four buildings connected by covered walkways. Included in the facilities are forty-five classrooms; two daycare rooms; library; Lower School science lab; Upper School labs for chemistry, biology, physical science, and Middle School science; state of the art Lower and Upper School art rooms; Lower and Upper School computer labs; two gymnasiums; a classroom for music and band; and a cafetorium. In 2002, the Dove Center was completed. It houses the Upper School English department, a computer lab, a computer classroom, art room, yearbook room, and the library. The school also maintains two playgrounds with one having a gazebo and the other newly renovated in 2005 with a covered area, a practice football field, and a practice baseball field. In 2013, the Student Activity Center was completed to provide a comprehensive weightlifting, fitness, and conditioning facility for students, faculty, and alumni.

School

The Lower School offers a program for three-year-old preschool through grade six. A variety of enrichment classes are offered in the Lower School to aid in preparing our students’ social and creative potential as well as helping them gain a global perspective. The student-teacher ratio in the Lower School is 8:1, and all teachers in grades 3P-12 have at least a four-year degree. All enrichment teachers are also degreed.

The Houston Academy (H.A.) Upper School (grades 7-12) offers a college preparatory curriculum. In Upper School, elective classes in art, music, journalism, drama/speech, television broadcast, and a fourth year of a foreign language provide an opportunity for our students to thrive academically, creatively and socially. Houston Academy is the only school in the Wiregrass to offer four foreign languages (Latin, Spanish, French, and German). H.A. offers 16 Advanced Placement (A.P.) classes where students can earn college credit. H.A. offers A.P. classes in AB Calculus, BC Calculus, Chemistry, Computer Science, English Language, English Literature, European History, French, Latin, Music Theory, Spanish, Studio Art: 2D Design, AP Studio Art: Drawing, Studio Art: 3D Design, and United States History

Small classes allow for a low teacher-pupil ratio of 14:1. All Faculty and staff have a bachelor's degree, with over half possessing a master's degrees or beyond. The average years’ experience for teachers/administrators at Houston Academy is 20.4.

There are seven periods on a regular school day. Periods are labeled A through G on a six-day rotation with G period for all students being last.

Accreditation

The school is accredited by the Southern Association of Independent Schools and the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools; and the holds memberships in the National Association of Independent Schools, National Association of Secondary School Principals, Southern Association of Independent Schools, the College Board, National Honor Society, National Association for College Admission Counseling, Southern Association of College Admissions Counselors, Alabama Independent School Association, and the Alabama High School Athletic Association.