Cary Academy


Cary Academy is an independent, coeducational, nonsectarian, college-preparatory secondary school located in a 65-acre campus in Cary, North Carolina established in 1997. The school places an emphasis on the use of technology in the classroom, with tablet computers issued to all students. In the 2019-2020 academic school year, Cary Academy had 774 enrolled students, 46% of whom were students of color.

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.
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 with a second gym and additional classroom space.
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.
In January 2019, the Center for Math and Science was completed, providing a makerspace, expanded study spaces, an environmental laboratory and greenhouse, two new physics labs, two new biology labs, and two new chemistry labs for the Upper School.

Technology

From its inception, Cary Academy has placed a heavy emphasis on technology. From 1997 until 2006, Cary Academy featured desktop computers in every classroom, as per the "one-computer-per-student" policy in use at the time. For the 2006-2007 school year, these were replaced with Tablet PCs issued to every student.

Demographics

The demographic breakdown of the 764 students enrolled for 2017-18 was:

Athletics

Cary Academy is a member of the Triangle Independent Schools Athletic Conference and the North Carolina Independent Schools Athletic Association. Cary Academy has seventeen different athletic teams participating in a diverse range of sports, which include:
Boys: Baseball, Basketball, Cross Country, Golf, Lacrosse, Soccer, Swimming, Tennis, Track and Field, Wrestling
Girls: Basketball, Cross Country, Cheerleading, Field Hockey, Golf, Lacrosse, Soccer, Softball, Swimming, Tennis, Track and Field, Volleyball

Achievements

In 2005, the Varsity Girls Cross Country team won the State Championship, and the Varsity Girls Basketball team were runners-up.
In 2008, 2009, 2014, and 2015 the Varsity Boys Tennis Team won State Championships.
The Varsity Boys Cross Country Team won State Runner-up honors in 2000, 2001, 2002, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, and 2013.
In 2009 and 2010, the Varsity Volleyball team was State Runner-up.
In 2012, the Varsity Girls Track & Field and the Varsity Girls Cross Country teams won State Championships.
In 2014 and 2016, the Varsity Women's Soccer Team made it to the state championships.
In 2020, the Girls Swim Team won their fourth NCISAA State Championship in a row.

Arts

Cary Academy has a diverse Arts Department. In the Middle School, arts offered are visual arts, band, orchestra, chorus, drama, and dance The video production class is offered to a small number of 8th graders every year as well. The Upper School offers a much wider range of fine, performing, and computer arts.
In addition to frequent Instrumental, Choral, Dance, and Art shows, Cary Academy's Fine and Performing Arts department has produced the following productions since its beginning:
Cary Academy features a Speech and Debate Team in the Upper School. The school participates in competitions of the National Forensic League, the National Catholic Forensic League, and the Tarheel Forensic League. Main Speech and Debate events offered at Cary Academy include:
The Cary Academy Speech and Debate team was founded during the 1998-1999 school year. In the fourteen years since its inception, the team has grown to become the largest speech and debate program in the state of North Carolina. During that time the team has won a state championship, multiple district championships, and qualified students to attend the National Speech and Debate Tournament for 12 consecutive years running. In that time Cary Academy has had 59 national qualifiers, including qualifiers in all but two of the eleven events offered at the national tournament. Cary Academy students have earned awards for advancing to the elimination rounds of the National Tournament in 8 of the last 9 years, including twice placing in the top six in their respective events. Cary Academy students have also won individual championships at the national/regional level competitions hosted by Wake Forest University, the University of Florida, Columbia University, Princeton University, and Northwestern University. In 2007, the Cary Academy chapter of the National Forensic League received the Leading Chapter Award for the Tarheel East District, and in 2012 Cary Academy's NFL Chapter was the 129th largest in the entire nation, including both public and private schools.