HISTORY  After the North Carolina General Assembly passed the House Bill 955 on June 21, 1996, the members of the FREE Board (Financial Reform for Excellence in Education) made application for the establishment of a charter school. The charter was approved on May 21, 1998. River Mill Charter School opened its doors on August 18, 1998. In order to continue with a strong emphasis on academics, River Mill Charter School was changed to River Mill Academy in 2001. In 2004, River Mill Academy obtained ownership of its own charter.

VISION  The educational focus of the charter school is to set a new standard in North Carolina for kindergarten through grade 12 by motivating all students to achieve their full potential. The goal is to assist parents in their mission to develop exemplary young citizens with superior academic preparation, equipped with analytical thinking skills, a passion for learning, and a virtuous character all built upon a solid foundation of knowledge. Part of River Mill’s mission is to include challenging academic curriculum and a strong discipline and honor code. 

CURRICULUM  River Mill Academy is a public charter school. We follow the North Carolina Standard Course of Study and participate in all the required testing for each public school. For the 2003/2004 school year, over 91% of our students performed above grade level. Students who graduate from our school have earned a college/university diploma that is recognized by institutions of higher learning. The majority of students continue their education in a four-year university following graduation. 

ADMISSIONS POLICY  Any child who is qualified under the laws of this state for admission to a public school is qualified for admission to River Mill Academy. Admission to River Mill Academy shall not be determined according to the school attendance area in which a student resides. Admission to River Mill Academy shall not be determined according to the local school administrative unit in which a student resides. 

River Mill Academy shall not discriminate against any student on the basis of ethnicity, national origin, gender, or disability. Except as otherwise provided by law or the mission of the school as set out in the charter, River Mill Academy shall not limit admission to students on the basis of intellectual ability, measures of achievement or aptitude, athletic ability, disability, race, creed, gender, national origin, religion, or ancestry. River Mill Academy may give enrollment priority to siblings of currently enrolled students who were admitted to the charter school in a previous year and to children of the school's principal, teachers, and teacher assistants. River Mill Academy's population shall reasonably reflect the racial and ethnic composition of the general population residing within the local school administrative unit in which the school is located or the racial and ethnic composition of the special population that the school seeks to serve residing within the local school administrative unit in which the school is located. The school shall be subject to any court-ordered desegregation plan in effect for the local administrative unit.

LOTTERY PROCEDURES  During each period of enrollment, River Mill Academy shall enroll an eligible student who submits a timely application, unless the number of applications exceeds the capacity of a program, class, grade level, or building. In this case, students shall be accepted by lot. A waiting list will be derived from the lottery process. If vacancies occur, students on the waiting list will be notified in the order drawn. Once enrolled, students are not required to reapply in subsequent enrollment periods. Notwithstanding any law to the contrary, River Mill Academy may refuse admission to any student who has been expelled or suspended from a public school under G.S. 115C-391 until the period of suspension or expulsion has expired.

Reference:  North Carolina General Statutes 115C-238.29F. General requirements. Section (g) Admission Requirements.