Arendell Parrott Academy
History
The school was founded by Lillian Parrott and her husband Marion A. Parrott, a former member of the North Carolina General Assembly and attorney. In 1964, the Parrotts, along with several others opened Arendell Parrott Academy, named after the Parrotts deceased son, Marion Arendell Parrott Jr. According to Lillian, "The school was perceived as not being a viable choice for all of the students; it was not integrated." 55 acres (220,000 m) of land was donated for the school in 1965, and by 1971 the school consisted of kindergarten through twelfth grade.
In 1992, the school became nationally accredited, which meant that colleges and universities considered Parrott's quality of education sufficient to consider accepting students from the academy.
In 2003, the school suffered minor damage from the West Pharmaceutical Services explosion. Many windows burst in and a student was injured by broken glass.
Demographics
In 2010, 90% percent of students were white. In contrast, Lenoir County was only 52% white. Students come from across a ten county area in Eastern North Carolina.
In 2016, the school enrollment was 88% white, while the area population was 57.9% non-white.
In 2018, the school was 95% White.