Harding Academy (Searcy, Arkansas)
Harding Academy is a K-12 private school in Searcy, Arkansas. It is affiliated with Harding University. Like that institution, it is associated with the Churches of Christ and named in honor of an early minister of that fellowship, James A. Harding. Student life. Harding Academy is accredited by the National Christian School Association. Many students take Advanced Placement (AP) courses and successfully gain college credit while still enrolled in high school. The Harding Academy choral program has received high rankings at competitions, performing concerts and going on tours periodically. Several members of the chorus have performed  at Carnegie Hall. The choral director, Craig Jones, won the National Christian School Association Teacher of the Year award for 2010. Other activities include Arkansas Governor's Quiz Bowl (AGQBA), band, drum corps, National Beta Club, art club, history club, chess club, journalism, key club, and drama, along with a FIRST LEGO League (Mindsweepers) team, winning the state championship in 2017 and 2021, and a FIRST Robotics Competition team (Team 3937 Breakaway), that was named Rookie All-Star at the 2012 Louisiana Bayou Regional competition. Team Breakaway won the 2014 Arkansas and Louisiana Bayou Regional as well as the 2015  Louisiana Bayou Regional. The team's director received the Woodie Flowers Award at the 2016 Arkansas Regional. The Harding Academy Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) have competed locally, statewide, and on the national level. In 2007, student Conor Kirkman won second place in the Arkansas state FBLA competition in the Technology Concepts category, and first place at the national FBLA competition in the same category. Every school day the students and faculty meet for chapel followed by a 45-minute bible study period that all students grades 7-12 attend. The school also participates in various community events including  hosting the Wildcat Road Mile, Micah Rine 5k, and the Breakaway 10k. Athletics. Harding Academy's mascot is the wildcat, and the school colors are red and white. The Harding Academy Wildcats participate in the 3A Classification and 3A Region 2 Conference as sanctioned by the Arkansas Activities Association. Boys may participate in these sports: Girls may participate in these sports: Academics. Harding Academy offers AP and Honors classes. The school also requires all students (grades 7-12) to take a Bible class; during these Bible classes the students are offered memorization work, and also a broader perspective on various  topics of Christianity and the Bible. Harding Academy has continuously scored well above the state average on ACT scores. All classrooms are equipped with state-of-the-art Smart Board technology, which enables teachers to offer a wide array of educational experiences. In 2016, Harding Academy launched a Google Chromebook program, to further increase technology in the classroom. Students who maintain a 95% throughout the school year are honored at the annual Circle of Excellence ceremony.