Academy Heights parents say the school's success isn't just about demographics. They note that many of its students come from middle-class families, where both parents work, and military families from Fort Bragg. Higher-income residents tend to send their kids to private schools, they say.Last year's PTA fund raiser garnered just $35,000, and the school doesn't sport fancy technology like laptops or iPads.
Instead, parents say, Academy Heights excels because the staff, parents and students work in unison to create an environment that nurtures yet challenges, and seeks to provide gifted and special-needs children alike with the same amount of individualized attention.
Claudia Ray, 11 years old, said she was hesitant in math until her teacher pushed her to work harder and trust herself more. Aubrey Suri, a fifth-grader, said her best friend was too shy to speak out in class until teachers coaxed her out of her s .