CFA At A Glance  

 

ADMINISTRATION

Headmaster John Meehl
Executive Assistant Carole Schuler
Lower School Director   Elizabeth White
Middle School Director  Jay Kranchalk
Upper School Director Hugh McManus
Business Manager Shana Weatherington-Barclay
Director of Admission Susan Mixon Harrell
Director of Development Susie Wakild
Athletic Director Chris Meehl
Director of College Counseling Becky Copenhaver
Director of Technology Brent Stimmel

FACULTY PROFILE

In 2011-12, the total teaching faculty was comprised of 20 males and 60 females for a total of 80 teaching staff.  Of those, 38% hold advanced degrees.

ACCREDITATION

Cape Fear Academy is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) / Southern Association of Independent Schools (SAIS), having completed its five-year reaccreditation in the fall of 2009.  Additional professional memberships include:  the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS), the Southern Association of Independent Schools (SAIS), the North Carolina Association of Independent Schools (NCAIS), the Educational Records Bureau (ERB), Independent School Management Consortium (ISM), and the College Entrance Examination Board (CEEB). 

ENROLLMENT
2011-2012

Lower School  (PK-5th grades)  231
Middle School  (6th-8th grades) 157
Upper School  (9th-12th grades)  236
Total Enrollment 624

SAT/ACT/AP PROFILE

    SAT ACT
Class of 2011 1202 (1803*) 26.0
Five-Year Average at CFA 1179 25.1
National Average in 2010 1017 (1509*) 21.1
North Carolina average in 2010 1008 21.9
*based on highest critical reading and math scores.

 

 

 

Fifty-five (55) students are in the class of 2012, and 90% have taken at least one AP course during the high school career. The average number of AP courses per student during the senior year is three (3). In general, Cape Fear Academy limits a student's enrollment to no more than three (3) AP courses in a single year with exceptions. Five students earned National AP Scholar distinction in 2011.

PHYSICAL PLANT
The school is situated on a 27-acre campus.  Present facilities include four classroom buildings, the Beane-Wright Student Center, Athletics Center (with classrooms), and a Fine Arts Building (under construction), as well as athletic fields and a tennis facility.  Additionally, athletic fields are developed across from our campus entrance on College Road on a nine-acre tract, which includes the only artificial turf field in the eastern part of the state. 

TECHNOLOGY

Approximately 1000 technology devices (computers, Ipads, netbooks, etc.)on campus
5 computer labs
8 laptop labs
Lower School Future Minds Lab including Ipads and Robotics
Publications lab
Professional video productions lab
Wireless internet campus-wide with websites filtered for appropriateness of content
All incoming freshman receive a laptop for their use in Upper School.
Internal communication system through Google apps for faculty, parents, and Middle and Upper School students
Media projection systems in every classroom.
12 classrooms equipped with interactive white boards
Grades and attendance available online
Technology driven instruction at all grade levels

HISTORY OF THE SCHOOL
Cape Fear Academy was incorporated in 1966 and opened its doors in September of 1967.  The first class graduated in 1971.  It was named for the original Cape Fear Academy, an independent school for boys in Wilmington that operated from 1868 until 1916. 

LEADERSHIP STRUCTURE
The Academy is owned and operated by a not-for-profit corporation governed by an elected Board of Trustees and is a 501(c)(3) organization unaffiliated with any other institution, group, or church.  The Board is comprised of parents and alumni.  The purpose of the Board is to set the mission, determine the long- and short-range goals, and assure that the Headmaster has adequate financial resources to meet the Board’s goals and the school’s mission.

The Headmaster is hired by the Board as the chief educator as well as chief operating and administrative officer of the school.  The Head implements the policies of the school and the decisions of the Board.  He or she is responsible for anticipating the developing needs of the school, the general supervision and management of all aspects of the school’s operations including curriculum, day-to-day operations, preparation of the annual budget, participation in fundraising activities, and the engagement/termination of faculty and staff. 

There are directors for each of the three divisions of the school.  These directors, along with the Director of Admission, Business Manager, Director of Development, Athletic Director, Director of Technology, Executive Assistant to the Headmaster, and Director of College Placement make up the Administrative Team. 

CLASS SIZE
In the present enrollment model, there is one Prekindergarten of 18 students, and two sections of 18 students each Kindergarten. Grades 1-5 typically enroll 20 students per grade.  Grades 6-8 have up to 60 students divided into three sections while the Upper School has a maximum of 70 in each grade.  Middle and Upper School academic sections are comprised of up to 21 students.

TUITION
The tuition for 2011-12 is:

Prekindergarten  $ 8740
Kindergarten $10,365
Grades 1-5 $13,775
Grades 6-8 $14,365
Grades 9-12 $14,550

FINANCIAL AID
Cape Fear Academy offers two types of financial aid:  need-based and merit.  Approximately 20% of the student body receives some type of financial aid with the bulk of the awards benefiting students in the Middle and Upper School.