North Raleigh
Christian Academy

In May of 1996, Christian families and pastors from the Raleigh community approached Dr. Sherrill about starting a community Christian school that had a vision to minister to the whole body of Christ. Several area businessmen, parents, and local pastors encouraged Dr. Sherrill and his wife, Debbie, to prayerfully consider establishing a non-denominational Christian school. Two key businessmen leading were Danny Cox and Bruce Battle. Pastor Shannon Scott, Danny Cox’s pastor, allowed them to meet with their deacons and have a church vote to host a Christian school within a matter of a week. Dr. Sherrill, who founded NRCA, presented the vision of being a lighthouse of Kingdom Education for North Raleigh. There was immediate and overwhelming support throughout the community. On June 10, 1996, NRCA had its first registration night with almost 900 in attendance and registered 279 students. In three short months, God opened the school’s doors on September 3, 1996, housed at Mt. Vernon Baptist Church, with an enrollment of 401 students K4 through 12th grade and a staff of 28. NRCA will forever be indebted to Pastor Shannon Scott and the Mt. Vernon congregation for opening their doors and being the birthplace of NRCA. Area pastors Mike Garrett (Crossroads Fellowship), Ron Rowe (Bay Leaf), David Horner (Providence), and Kevin Sweat (Providence) were instrumental through their prayers and support. There were countless stories of God’s provision and guidance during this first year!

Growing by another 100 students for its second year of operation, the school was out of space. In 1998, Dwayne Milioni, Pastor of Open Door Baptist Church, welcomed NRCA to its second campus, Kindergarten-6th grade. Between the two locations, the enrollment was over 600. In 1999, with enrollment at 777, the school purchased 30 acres of land on Perry Creek Road with its availability and full payment, both miracles of God.

In 2000, we began a capital campaign to raise $5.8 million. This was very exciting because enrollment was full at both campuses with 850 students. On November 16, a Victory Rally with over 1,000 in attendance was held at Mt. Vernon Baptist Church with Christian artist Phil Driscoll to celebrate the generosity of many parents, grandparents, and friends who had given and continued to give to this ministry. Over $3 million was pledged at this one event.

In 2001, a master site plan for Perry Creek was developed by Design Development that proposed five phases over twenty years. The first phase was a high school campus with ball fields and parking. Over time with additional phases, the elementary and middle school could move to the new campus. The day we received the architect’s master site plan, a foundation contacted us and stepped forward with a gift of $30,000,000. This made it possible to build the entire master site plan so all our students, Kindergarten-12th grade, could move to the Perry Creek campus.

In 2002, the Perry Creek campus opened with 1,150 students. Over the next few years, three additional purchases of property adjacent to the Perry Creek campus increased our site to almost 40 acres (4.99 acres in 2005, 2.74 acres in 2006, 1.05 acres in 2008).

In 2006, a much-needed band room expansion was completed to accommodate a growing band program and marching band.

In 2007, the football practice field with storage facilities was completed, and restrooms were added to the baseball field house.

In 2009, the Alumni Memorial Garden was created to honor staff, alumni, coaches, and board members.

In 2010, a $9 million expansion project added a three-story academic building, elementary gymnasium, and soccer park. The Next Step Capital Campaign was launched. Over $4 million was donated, and the balance was paid in full in 32 months, another God story. This expansion made an enrollment of 1,500 possible.

NRCA began an International Student Program. The school also had the opportunity to purchase 20 acres next door with the passing of our neighbor, Mr. Leslie Stell. The price was at tax value, an unexpected and miraculous gift, because of Mr. and Mrs. Stell’s love for our ministry. This was also our first year of the annual Boosterthon. In addition, NRCA began a wrestling program.

In 2012, NRCA added its Little Knights Preschool for four- and five-year-olds who plan to transition into kindergarten the next year.

In 2013, NRCA built two storage facilities between the baseball and softball fields to house equipment for athletics, marching band, fine arts, and maintenance.

In 2014, NRCA began its 1:1 iPad program in kindergarten–12th grade. NRCAplus Virtual Academy was added to the academic program which made it possible for students to take courses online through Sevenstar. This expanded course offerings beyond NRCA’s college preparatory program.

In 2015, we began our junior varsity lacrosse program. The Alumni Memorial Garden was relocated to its permanent home. We also began a dual-enrollment program with the fully accredited Southeastern College in Wake Forest. High school students can enroll in select courses taken under the teaching of our staff and receive college credit.

In 2016, after fielding a club lacrosse team the previous school year, NRCA officially launched a varsity boys lacrosse program.

In 2017, the new state-of-the-art fitness center was opened for our student athletes. The previous fitness center was also renovated, giving NRCA two excellent facilities.

After seeking the Lord’s guidance and wisdom, Dr. Sherrill made the decision to officially retire in 2018, and Dr. Kevin Mathes was appointed as interim superintendent for the 2018–2019 school year.

Dr. Mathes officially became the new superintendent of NRCA in the fall of 2019 and launched anew tradition of choosinga biblical virtue each year to highlight as a schoolwide theme. Kindness was the inaugural theme. Spring of 2020marked the official start of the COVID-19 global pandemic. NRCA was one of the few schools in the country to hold a safe, socially distanced, in-person outdoor graduation.

With continued uncertainty surrounding the pandemic, NRCA launched Flexible Education providing the best educational experience possible, both on-campus and virtually, as we celebrated 25 years of ministry throughout the school year.

In the fall of 2021, NRCA returned to full in-person instruction on campus and resumed field trips. Beloved principal and founding team member Mr. Danny O. Watkins announced that he would retire after completing his 26th year of service at the helm of NRCA’s high school division.

NRCA’s STEM programs experienced significant growth as robotics students swept the podium at the inaugural North Carolina ACSI STEM competition, won their first FIRST® Robotics Competition, and qualified for states in the FIRST® Lego® League Challenge. The robotics program received NASA Program Growth grants, implemented a cross-divisional energy education plan, and increased corporate and educational partnerships. In the summer of 2022, NRCA expanded carline to three lanes and added a canopy area to the east side of the drop-off and pick-up zone. Adding entry from both sides of carline and a second right-turn lane onto Perry Creek Road dramatically decreased the amount of time NRCA families spent in carline.

In 2023, NRCA completed campus projects with hospitality and security in mind. Inside updates transformed the lobby of the archway entrance into an inviting space for students, families, and visitors to gather when attending athletic and fine arts events. As part of the lobby renovation, the school added a new NRCA Knights Honor Wall featuring the names of NRCA alumni who are current college athletes and those who are currently serving or have served in the US Armed Forces. Classrooms and offices in the main building received technology and decor upgrades. Security updates made the campus safer by upgrading the parking lot lighting, installing all-campus surveillance cameras, and limiting visitor access to classroom areas.

In the summer and fall of 2023, NRCA installed its first artificial turf system at the soccer/lacrosse complex, aiming to enhance playability and improve player safety. Playability was a key focus of the project, especially since the field was often unusable for days after rainstorms. With the new artificial turf system in place, these issues have been fully resolved, along with the time and costs associated with annual turf maintenance and repairs. A key feature of this turf system is its safety enhancements. It includes shock attenuation padding, ensuring the GMAX concussion rating is more than 50% below recommended industry standards. This resilient padding allows the turf to meet FIFA’s performance standards while providing safer playing conditions for athletes. Unlike traditional turf systems, NRCA's artificial turf is free from rubber and other materials commonly found in older systems. The backing is made from recyclable fabric, replacing the rubber backing used in the past. Additionally, the turf features an organic infill made from ground-up coconut husks and fine sand, which absorbs moisture and helps reduce heat buildup. As a result, the turf’s temperature remains 30–35% cooler compared to legacy systems.

In a word, growth described 2024 at NRCA. With student enrollment near capacity, NRCA undertook three major construction projects to expand key areas of ministry on campus. The auditorium expansion and renovation increased seating, updated technology, refreshed decor, and enlarged the trades space that houses NRCA's woodworking, construction, and engineering programs. The cafeteria grew by almost 1,400 square feet to eliminate crowding and improve flow during lunch. A classroom expansion added four new learning spaces to the C-wing of the main building, allowing NRCA to increase enrollment by up to 100 students.