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History and Growth

The Roger Bacon Academy was founded in 1999, by Mr. Baker Mitchell. He had a mission of opening charter schools that provided the highest quality educational experience emphasizing safety, character, and scholarship.

After applying for a charter from the state of North Carolina, he and Superintendent Mark Cramer started the first school with only 53 students in kindergarten through second grade. Now, the family of schools serves grades K-8 and has four campuses with a student population of over 2,000 students!1996 Charter Schools granted in North Carolina. The Combined Text of House Bill 955 ratified on June 21, 1996.

1999

  • Baker Mitchell applies for a charter and is approved to open Charter Day School in rural Leland, NC.

2000

  • Charter Day School starts its first year with 53 students and finishes with 72 in Kindergarten through 2nd grade.

2003

  • Charter Day School is approved for a 10-year renewal of its charter by the State Charter School Advisory Committee
  • Charter Day School rates as a School of Distinction with High Growth.

2004

  • Record enrollment for Charter Day School of over 520 students in Kindergarten through 6th grade – lottery is held for applications.

2005

  • Charter Day School is recognized as an Honor School of Excellence and recognized as a TOP 25 of 1,800 K-8 schools statewide.

2006

  • Columbus Charter School in Whiteville, NC is established on August 3.
  • FASTAR – Fluent Academic Skills Tournament for Arithmetic and Reading has its inaugural year at Charter Day School.

2009

  • Charter Day School tops list in Brunswick and Columbus counties for Highest ABC scores.
  • John Locke Foundation honors Baker Mitchell with the Pope Award for “Advancement of Freedom.
  • A Decade of Distinction, The Roger Bacon Academy celebrates it’s 10 year anniversary with the theme: “Promises Kept.”

2011

  • North Carolina state legislature lifts the cap on charter schools.
  • RBA Archery in only it’s second year wins the N.C. State Championship.
  • Pop Warner National Championship – Junior Pee Wee Cheer Squad.

2012

  • RBA Archery wins second consecutive State Championship Title at NASP Archery tournament.
  • Charter Day School is highest-scoring school in Brunswick County of End-of-Grade tests. It’s sister school, Columbus Charter School is the highest-scoring in Columbus County.

2013

  • Douglass Academy, the second satellite campus of Charter Day School, opens in downtown Wilmington.
  • Two RBA Viking Cheer Squads bring home National Titles- Pee Wee Intermediate Large and Midget squads.
  • RBA Archery wins third consecutive State Championship Title at NASP Archery tournament.
  • Charter Day School is the highest-scoring school in Brunswick County on End-of-Grade tests. It’s sister school, Columbus Charter School is the highest-scoring in Columbus County.

2014

  • South Brunswick Charter School, the third satellite campus of Charter Day School, opens in Southport.
  • Charter Day School awarded a 10-year renewal of its charter, the highest designation offered by the State Board of Education.
  • CDS 8th graders win an essay contest allowing them the honor of participating in the Laying of the Wreath on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
  • RBA Archery wins fifth consecutive State Championship Title at NASP Archery tournament.
  • Two RBA Cheer squads bring home the program’s SIXTH consecutive National Titles – Midget and Pee Wee Large Intermediate squads.

2015

  • 8th graders visit Washington DC, tour the Capitol, and are again invited to particiapte in the honor of the Laying of the Wreath on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
  • RBA Archery wins SIXTH consecutive State Championship Title at NASP Archery Tournament

2016

  • 7th grade teacher David Johnson wins North Carolina Science Teacher Association “Distinguished Service” award.
  • Archery team wins NC State Championship for seventh straight year.
  • CDS wins Wesley Becker Excellent School Award from the National Institute For Direct Instruction.
  • Cheerleader Squad wins ninth national title.

2017

  • Archery team wins NC State Championship for eight straight year.
  • Cheerleader Squad wins multiple national titles.

2018 

  • Archery teams wins NC State Championship for ninth consecutive year.

2019

  • Aggregating the End-of-Grade scores of the family of four schools as if it were  an NC district, its 2,400 students ranked 17th out of 115 districts  in the state.

2020-2022 

  • The virus pandemic challenge was met by giving parents a choice between on-campus attendance or concurrent at-home attendance in Zoom classes.  Approximately 67% chose on-campus and 33% chose at-home.
  • The four schools are renamed under the banner of Classical Charter Schools of America.
  • The Columbus campus becomes Classical Charter Schools of Whiteville.
  • The Leland campus becomes Classical Charter Schools of Leland.
  • The southern Brunswick campus becomes Classical Charter Schools of Southport.
  • The downtown Wilmington campus becomes Classical charter Schools of Wilmington.
  • A $40,000,000 municipal bond underwriting took place to purchase facilities and add new facilities to the campuses.