There are no special entrance requirements for the academy. Any eighth-grade graduate can apply. 75 percent of the academy cadets come from homes with incomes below the poverty line. That's the essence of the school, is to not make it selective. We want to take your average student, the student that comes out of anyone's home every day, and make him a successful student.
Parental involvement is key at the academy.
Though it is a public school, parents are required to sign contracts saying their children will follow the rules of the academy. Melanee Debro has been amazed at the changes in her daughter. I see her in the morning, and she has this green military uniform on, and she's a totally different person when she puts it on. She really seems to be military. Debro had thought of a military academy for her daughter Brittany several years ago.