Former McAdams football and powerlifting coach Kenneth Nelson and his wife, Traciellya, will open a private school in Attala County. Epic Academy is scheduled to begin classes Aug. 15 at 6145 Highway 12 in Sallis, initially with up to 20 students in K-12.
The school has been registered with the Mississippi Secretary of State.
“I have been in education for 13 years and my wife has been in it for 10 years,” Nelson said, adding that opening the school is an opportunity to give back to education. “And get back to nurturing the total child, the total student.
“We are taking a different approach as opposed to the traditional school to empower the mind that’s inside all of our students. Research shows that most students get bored with school and want to quit school by the time they get to the sixth grade because of how the curriculum is constructed.”
The school will employ Abeka curriculum formulated by Pensacola (Florida) Christian College. The curriculum is defined by its website as “Comprehensive, biblically-based, textbooks, teaching aids and more for preschool-grade 12.”
Nelson said, “Our mission is to expand our children, not only to be prepared for the real world, but to be prepared for the world they create.”
Nelson and his wife will be the only teachers at the outset, with plans to add faculty in the future. “We have administrative licenses.”
Nelson earned his bachelor's and master's degrees from Belhaven, and his wife earned her bachelor's and master's degrees from Mississippi State University. Both have specialist degrees from Delta State. “We’re well qualified.”
Classes will be conducted in a 1,000-square foot building that is being modified to serve as the school.
All students who have registered are from Attala County. Interested parents may contact the office at 662-792-6858 to arrange a meeting.
- An earlier version of this story incorrectly reporter where the Nelsons received their degrees.
