Piney Woods Boarding School is one of the four remaining historically African American Boarding Schools in the country. The schools is located about 21 miles from Jackson Mississippi. in a scenic part of Missippi with rolling hills, and several lakes. It has its roots in the segregated south but also has a unique history, in being both a boarding school, and at one time a school for the blind. While many schools at an eariler time were segregated Piney Woods has a legacy of their ownm with a strong connection to Jackson.
We spoke to the Director of Admissions Ron Huddlesworth, about the school, and found some very interesting things which most consultants might not know about Piney Woods. Many consultants, we have spoken to are either not familar with Piney Woods, or never toured the school. They might have heard of the school, but they have never spoken directly to a faculty at Piney Woods, so their knowledge is limited, most have never seen the campus or explored its historic legacy.
Mr. Huddlesworth was gracious to speak to me about the school by a conference call, which was we both shared many of the concerns of parents having children at Piney Woods. While he was preparing for its annual tubilee- A historical term, often used by many black sch0ols and colleges which is often referred to as parent-alumni days in other boarding schools. We spoke to Mr. Huddlesworth, at greath length about the schools misssion, history and its direction.
The school has a mission of training young men and women toward heart, hands, and helping-a motto of the school which has been embrassed since its beginning. These three areas are a play a significant part of Pinney Woods purpose. While many parents might not undestand this motto or misssion, it's clear tha helping students in these areas are critical. Students are als0 sent to Piney Woods for a college prepatory education, which might not be clear to some parents or consultants. We spoke to one consultant on our tour in New England, who thougth
Piney Woods was a school for only African American students. We had to clarify the diversity of the school to this consultant.
Piney Woods started as all boys school, but is now a co educational boarding school that has student from over 20 different countries and states including girls on the campus. Piney Woods offers a good scholastic curriculum to help students who want to enter college, while preparing for life. The mission of preparing students for life is the essential part of the school's motto. They have over 2000 acres of land, where students do farming chores and work to address this mission. Unlike other boarding schools, students do work on campus, having great responiblities for maintaining the campus.
This supplements the tuition which is at a reduced rate often more afforable to familes which have low economic support. Many student coming to Piney come to the school with a resuced rate for tuition. Many paying much less than they would had they attended a boarding school on the east coast, which can range up to 48,000 fourty eight thousand dollars.
The faculty at Piney Woods are wonderful and committed teachers, many African American who are interested in the student population. Mr. Huddlesworth reminded me about the school and its mission and purpose, in our discussion. The school has on its main page information which was addressed on CNN Lives program "Black in America". This series, talks about the educational challenges of minority youth in America as well as the culture.
The program was hosted by CNN addressing some of the challenges black Ameican face with the drop out rate and violence in public schools. We are planning a tour to Piney Woods to meet the faculty very soon. Our invitation was many months ago, and we feel the school has great opporunities for the right student. Mr. Huddlesworth, explained " Piney Woods is open to all students not exclusively black students". "We do have a large number of black students but mmany of our students come from other countries, including the Carribean, some from Canada others from Egypt". "Many parents many not look at Piney Woods, because they think its a all black boarding school". Other parents might send a student to the school, simply by word of mouth.
We worked with a parent, who had a son at Piney Woods, and left the school after a short time requesting my services for a school. The parent felt Piney Woods as not a good match for her child. We wanted to ask for ourselves, about why this parent removed their child from Piney Woods. More imporatantly, we wanted first hand knowledge of the school, rather than a single parent experience of the school.
Some parents concerns about a school like Piney Woods simply because of the ethnic composition of the students, other might have different reasons. Mr. Huddlesworth, simply replied, "well many parents send their childre to Piney for the wrong reasons". Often the problem is they "have a problem long before coming to Piney Woods, and that is simply not our mission.
We wanted to ask this question, because when a consultant sends a student to an all black rural boarding school, in Mississippi, there might be nunerous reason, or concerns which have nothing to do with the school itself. We also want to determine if those reasons were valid, and if Piney Woods is the best place for the right student. While adjustment to a rural community in Missippi may be an issue or challenge for a student from a urban community, the right place is imporant for any consultant working with a family.
The fact is 98 percent of students attending Piney Woods go on to college. We found the curriculum matching to the states proficiency, but probably needing additional courses in latin and fine arts, and probably math and science was perhaps needed.
The schools' motto is heart, help, and hands is the very essence of the school mission can be accomplished. When a consultant is looking at a school like Piney Woods or Pine Forge, also a historically black Seventh Day Adventist boarding school, they must understand both schools mission and its focus. Pine Forge is a historically black boarding school in Pensylvania, which like
Piney Woods has a largely black student population.
The question we want to ask is: What do you know about Piney Woods, Did you know of this historically black boarding school? What interest you about Piney Woods. Are there some areas of concern you might have in the perception of the school versus other traditional co educational boarding schools? Have you visited the school? What challenges would you have in selecting the school?
