The school was founded in 1970 in reaction to the desegregation of the McComb, Mississippi public schooling system (McComb School District).[1] Originally new students were required to have the sponsorship of two families whose children attended the academy and no black students were invited.[2] Asked about the lack of African-American students in 1994 Kathy Miller, administrative assistant at Parklane, told the Austin American-Statesman that "[w]e have a couple of black students. Well, we have a couple of students named Black."[3]
By 2002 Parklane had tax-exempt status and therefore, according to school official Billy Swindle, followed a required non-discrimination policy.[2] In a city that was 58.40% African-American as of the 2000 census,[4] no African-American children had attended Parklane Academy as of 2005.[5] However, according to Swindle, "Parklane does have some Asian pupils [in 2002]" noted that "its annual tuition of $2,600 could be an impediment."[2]
Athletics
In 2001 The Mississippi Private School Association (MPSA) allowed member schools to participate in athletic matches against public schools. The Mississippi High School Athletic Association requires that their member schools only play schools which meet accreditation standards set by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS). Sixty nine of the MPSA's member schools, among them Parklane Academy, failed to meet SACS standards at that time. A Parklane School administrator stated that "Parklane has no plans to compete against public schools in athletics. In my opinion, not many of the private schools will. It's strictly a choice between the two schools involved. It's an autonomy question. Each school has to decide on their own."[6] By the 21st century Parklane Academy had made strides in racial diversity.[7][8][9][10] In 2022, Parklane Academy hired an African-American teacher and coach.[11]
Notable alumni
Jeff Calhoun, former Major League Baseball pitcher
Paul Ott Carruth, former running back for the Green Bay Packers and the University of Alabama.
^Clark, Robin (July 10, 1994). "Town's racial divide subtler, but still deep, 30 years later". Austin American-Statesman. p. C8. "We're just one big happy family here," said Kathy Miller, a gray-haired woman with a voice as sweet as honeysuckle. One big happy "white" family, that is. Miller is the administrative as-sistant at Parklane Academy, McComb's first private school. Parklane was opened in 1970, the same year that Mississippi public schools were finally integrated, 16 years after Brown vs. Board of Education. Parklane now has 1,025 students, almost a third as many as the city schools, though Parklane draws many students from the rural areas outside McComb. Asked about the racial makeup of the school, Miller said, "We have a couple of black students." Then she added with a giggle, "Well, we have a couple of students named Black." In fact, there is only one black person on Parklane's sprawling campus — a janitor.
