Video: Remembering Central Academy

NOXUBEE COUNTY, Miss.(WCBI)—For more than 45 years Central Academy in Macon has produced generations and generations of young scholars.

On May 18th the institution will close its doors for good.

“I have a lot of ties and feelings there that are going to be washed away when they close that school,”said Central Academy  Alumnus Bruce Allsup.

The feelings many Central Academy Alumni felt hearing the news their alma mater was closing for good.

“From the time I can remember people always said Central Academy wouldn’t be here next, Central Academy won’t be here next year. You heard that for so long that it almost doesn’t seem real. You kind of stop listening. To hear them announce the school was closing was sad and shocking,”said Central Academy  Alumna Laura Unruh.

Unruh graduated in 2000 in a class of 38.  She says she often volunteered her time in hopes that it would keep the school a float.

” I always thought my kids would go to school at Central Academy. I graduated there. I thought I would sit in those same bleachers and watch my kids play ball. To be able to go back and help people when they don’t have funding, to pay coaches or to pay different people that there are people who will help maintain,”said Unruh.

Bruce Allsup was a part of the largest class to come out of the academy with a total of 64.

“There are just so many people to come through central we are so proud of what the school stood for. To our community and all the people that live in the surrounding areas it was just a great opportunity to get a great education”said Allsup.

Allsup says after he graduated in 1980 he saw the numbers start to slowly shrink.

” We knew the the enrollment had been going down for years. I think everybody probably had an idea that it might have a chance to happen eventually. The way the economics are around the county it was just inevitable,”said Allsup.

According to Central Academy Principal, Linda Simpson, the school property will be sold and the current students will disperse among other area schools.

Central’s final graduates received their diplomas last Friday night. The last day of class will be this Friday..