North Raleigh Christian Academy was founded in May 1996 by Dr. Sonny L. Sherrill along with a group of former teachers and students from Friendship Christian School in Raleigh, North Carolina. The original site of the school was Mt. Vernon Baptist Church located in Raleigh, NC, which is now the current site of Neuse Christian Academy. In its first year, NRCA had 400 students in K-12th grade at its "Falls campus" at Mt. Vernon. In 1998, the school began a second campus with K-6th grade at Open Door Baptist Church where over 140 students arrived its first year. Open Door Baptist supported the "Durant campus" as it grew to over 250 students in three years. Total enrollment at both campuses reached 868 by 2001. With the purchase of on Perry Creek Road in 1999, the school's Board of Governors began plans for the "Perry Creek campus." Ground was broken in the fall of 2000 for the new campus. On August 17, 2002, the K–12th grade "Perry Creek campus" was dedicated. Two days later on August 19, 2002, over 1,100 students entered the doors of the academy. Today, the school continues to grow with over 1,450 students, and is now the largest private K–12 school in North Carolina. In order to facilitate increased demand and future growth, the school purchased adjacent land and has recently added two additional wings to the school, which have provided additional classrooms, music and dance space, and a third gymnasium. Increased parking space and a soccer complex were also added. The project was completed by the start of the 2010–11 school year and has increased enrollment capacity to 1,800 students.
Academics and curriculum
North Raleigh Christian Academy is an accredited, state-approved, college-preparatory school. The school’s accreditations include: SACS, ACSI, and CITA. The school’s elementary students average 2–4 years above the national average on the Stanford 10, and middle school students score 3 to 4 years above the national average on the SAT 10. Senior classes have consistently averaged above 1150 on the SAT, and have been accepted to some of the top universities in the country. NRCA is also a member of the National Honor Society and the National Junior Honor Society. The elementary grades use the A Beka curriculum, Shurley Grammar, A Reason for Science, ACSI Bible, ACSI Spelling, and additional supplements. Electives offered on the elementary level include: computers, Spanish, art, physical education, choral, band, and library. A system of academic field trips for elementary through 12th grade accents the classroom experience. The middle and high school use a combination of A Beka, Bob Jones University Press, Prentice-Hall, Scott Foresman, and other texts. Middle and high school Bible curriculum is an assortment of Bob Jones University Press, A Beka, Summit Ministries, ACSI, and current authors such as James Dobson and Henry Blackaby. All 7th and 8th grade students are required to take Latin I and II. In addition to the three-track academic system of general, college-preparatory, and honors tracks for high school students, advanced placement classes for college credit are also offered. Current advanced placement classes include: biology, chemistry, physics, computer science, calculus, European history, American history, psychology, music theory, and English. Honors classes are available in college math, Spanish III, advanced math, economics, choir, band, dance, and English. Computer and science labs also help prepare students academically. The school also offers dual-enrollment opportunities through The College at Southeastern, the undergraduate school of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Wake Forest, NC.
Student life
In addition to opportunities in athletics and fine arts, students at NRCA participate in a number of other extracurricular activities. Some of these include:
Student-led prayer groups where students meet together for prayer prior to the opening of each school day.
Student council where elected class representatives from each class in grades 6-12.
Community service projects where students of all ages take part in service projects for several organizations including Samaritan's Purse, House of Hope, and the Raleigh Rescue Mission.
Junior/senior banquet where the junior class hosts a formal banquet for the senior class
Senior trip where each year the senior class travels to Europe for 10 days
Winter ski getaway where each winter students travel for a spiritual renewal time accompanied by skiing and fellowship and
ACSI middle and high school leadership conference. Students chosen from grades 6-12 attend this trip for the encouraging and training student leaders.
Discrimination
North Raleigh Christian Academy admits students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national and ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, athletic, and other school-administered programs. However, North Raleigh Christian Academy has strong policies in regards to homosexuality and "sexual immorality". The NRCA Handbook states: "Thus, NRCA retains the right to refuse enrollment to or to discontinue enrollment of any student who engages in sexual immorality, including any student who professes to be homosexual/bisexual/transgender; and/or is a practicing homosexual/bisexual/transgender/bestiality; and/or any student who condones, supports, or otherwise promotes such practices..."
