Cary Academy - History

History

Cary Academy was founded by Ann and James Goodnight and Ginger and John Sall in 1996, though the first classes were not held until 1997. (Goodnight and Sall are co-founders of SAS Institute.)

Cary Academy is an independent, coeducational, college-preparatory day school for students in grades 6-12 located on a 65-acre campus in the Research Triangle area of North Carolina (Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill). Since opening in 1997, Cary Academy has been steadfast in its mission to create a diverse learning community committed to discovery, innovation, collaboration and excellence.

As a school established by the founders of SAS, the school has placed a heavy emphasis on the use of technology. from 1997 until 2006, the school had desktop computers located in every classroom.

In 2003, the Sports/Education Annex was completed, allowing more space for both athletics and Foreign Language classes.

In September 2004, the United States Department of Education named Cary Academy one of 255 public and private schools that had won its No Child Left Behind Blue Ribbon award since the inception of the program.

Starting in the 2006-2007 school year, the school transferred from desktops to a Tablet PC program for all students.

Architecture for the school buildings is neoclassical, with ornate columns at entrances. It was modeled after the University of Virginia, and was designed by Cherry Huffman architects of Raleigh, North Carolina.

In July 2011, Head of School Don Berger announced his stepping down after the 2011-12 school year.