Several leaders of an area anti-busing group called the Concerned Parents Association[8] helped start Providence Day as an alternative to the newly integratedCharlotte-Mecklenburg public school system.[9] The founders organized as the Southeast Community Corporation and began advertising for applications for fifth and sixth grade students in September 1970 on a "first-come, first-served basis".[10]
In early September 1970, an approximately seven-acre (2.8 ha) site that included a former residence was secured at the intersection of Sardis and Rama Roads. The school was initially housed in four rooms inside the residence and four mobile classrooms. Classes began on September 28, 1970 with five certified teachers and 180 students in fifth and sixth grades.[3][11] The school operated without a headmaster until William T. Townsend Jr. was hired in May 1971.[12]
In February 1971 the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction approved Providence Day School as a private school.[13] A new facility that included 13 new classrooms, administrative offices and a teachers' lounge was constructed prior to the 1971–72 school year.[14] Also in 1972, Douglas C. Eveleth was named new headmaster, joining Providence Day from Cape Fear Academy in Wilmington, North Carolina.[15] The student body grew rapidly in the early 1970s and by October 1974 had an enrollment of 670 students in first through twelfth grades.[16] In December 1975, the school received accreditation from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.[17]
The size of the campus more than doubled in 1981 due to the $500,000 purchase of 14 acres (5.7 ha) of adjacent land. Each enrolled family was assessed $1,000 to finance the purchase.[18] The athletic center built on the land was named in honor of Thomas Ridenhour, who served as president of the board of trustees for 13 years.[19] The school expanded again in 1990, adding the McMahon Fine Arts Center, a 37,000 sq ft (3,400 m2) facility including a 500-seat theater, dining hall, and classrooms for both music and art.[20] Also in 1990, Providence Day added an additional 6.8 acres (2.8 ha) of land to the campus for $1.2 million.[21] The Dickson-Hemby Technology Center, housing computer labs, conference rooms, faculty offices and STEM classrooms was opened in 1998.[22] In 2015, Providence Day launched a comprehensive fund-raising campaign that financed a new 80,000 sq ft (7,400 m2) academic center, campus gateway building and additional parking, while also increasing the size of the school's endowment and annual fund.[23]
Eugene Bratek became the school's third headmaster in 1986.[24] Upon his retirement from the school in 2007, a new teleconferencing center in the school's fine arts building was named in his honor.[25] Bratek was succeeded by Jack Creeden[26] who served in the role for three years. Glyn Cowlishaw was selected as the new head of school in December 2010. His tenure began July 1, 2011 and continues to the present day.[27]
Academics
Providence Day School was designated a Blue Ribbon School in 1987 and 2003.[28]
Providence Day School is divided into Lower, Middle and Upper School divisions — the Lower School is led by a Head of Division and an Assistant Head, while the Middle and Upper schools are both led by a Head of Division and a Dean of Students.
Athletics
Sports at Providence Day School are available to all students in 7th to 12th grades. The Athletics program supports 68 teams across the middle school, junior varsity and varsity levels, 26 of which are varsity sports.[29]
Providence Day School competes in the North Carolina Independent Schools Athletic Association (NCISAA).[30] Locally, Upper School teams compete in the Charlotte Independent School Athletic Association (CISAA) while the Middle School competes in the Greater Charlotte Middle School Athletic Association (GCMSAA).
In November 2020, an African-American student, Jamel Van Rensalier, was expelled from the school following an ongoing dispute between the student's mother, Faith Fox, and school administration.[31][32] The dispute revolved around the reading of August Wilson's play Fences in English class. Fox objected to the assignment because the play includes many racial slurs and she "imagined her son’s mostly white class at the Providence Day School reading the dialogue out loud... her main concern was that the themes were too mature for the group and would foster stereotypes about Black families." Fox continued her protests after being provided an alternative assignment and, out of five students who expressed discomfort with the material, Van Rensalier was the only student expelled.
