Phenix City Schools Relaunch Advanced Academy With Coding and Engineering

Phenix City Schools is relaunching its middle school acceleration program as the Advanced Academy, layering digital media, visual arts, engineering and computer science with coding onto a fast-track path that was paused a year ago. The new program is set to open at Phenix City Intermediate School for rising sixth graders in the 2026-2027 school year. District leaders described the changes as an upgrade to the old model.

Admission will hinge on test scores, academic performance and behavior, according to the district. More information will reach families through the school in the coming weeks.

What the New Academy Adds

The Advanced Academy layers four “innovation rotations” on top of the accelerated math, science and language arts path the old program ran for a decade. District leaders listed them as digital media, visual arts, engineering, and computer science with coding. The additions sit alongside the core acceleration track rather than replacing it.

1. Digital media
2. Visual arts
3. Engineering
4. Computer science with coding

The old Acceleration Academy, per the district’s page on the Accelerated Academy, offered an accelerated course path in mathematics, science, and language arts. The new program keeps that compression. It adds exposure to creative and technical fields alongside the core path. The district says the program is designed to provide motivated students with rigorous coursework, advanced learning experiences, and expanded opportunities for future academic success.

Why the Original Program Paused

The Acceleration Academy had run since 2015 as a fast-track for select sixth through eighth graders. Students compressed roughly a year and a half of math, science and language arts into a single school year. Per the district, the program afforded students an accelerated course path in those three subjects.

In August 2025, the district said the model was no longer feasible. Superintendent Dr. Janet Sherrod told WTVM that revisions to the Alabama State Department of Education’s Courses of Study had forced the rethink, adding in a written statement that “These revisions impact the feasibility of the original acceleration model.”

State Board of Education District 2 Representative Tracie West disagreed. “It appears that the State Department’s position was being used as a reason to make a local decision, and that simply was not the case,” West said. Parents told the station they were frustrated, particularly about how the changes could affect dual enrollment opportunities.

The Rules Behind the Relaunch

The Advanced Academy is built on five accountability measures the district added to satisfy state expectations and give the program a documented operational spine. The criteria, shared through WLTM, are specific and uniform. They govern pacing, standards coverage, staff communication, documentation, and grading consistency. Each one ties directly to how the program will run day to day. Together, they form the operational backbone of the relaunch.

• Adherence to pacing guides reviewed in collaboration with Alabama State Department of Education subject area specialists
• All course standards taught with fidelity during instruction
• Ongoing communication and collaboration among school administrators, counselors, and teachers to support graduation requirements
• Documentation of standards coverage through aligned assignments within the student information system
• Consistent implementation of admission and grading expectations for all participating students

The relaunch language ties the program to “updated state guidance and instructional expectations” rather than to the old standalone pitch. That connects Sherrod’s August 2025 statement to the June 2026 relaunch: the state revised its standards, and the district built new accountability measures around them.

Eligibility and the Fall 2026 Launch

The Advanced Academy will open to rising sixth graders in the 2026-2027 school year. Admission turns on three factors: test scores, academic performance, and behavior. The district has not yet published a full application timeline. Families will receive more information through their schools.

The program’s prior reach provides context. In Phenix City Schools’ most recent graduating class, more than 60 students earned 15 or more college credit hours before graduating from high school. That result came from opportunities created through the district’s accelerated academic pathways.

The Academy will start with a single grade level of new sixth graders. Its first full cohort will not finish the program until the 2028-2029 school year.

• Launch: 2026-2027 school year
• Eligible grade: Rising sixth graders
• Admission criteria: Test scores, academic performance, behavior
• Location: Phenix City Intermediate School
• Prior program reach: More than 60 students earned 15 or more college credit hours before graduating high school

The Students Who Missed the Window

The relaunch leaves a gap year for current students. Students in sixth and seventh grade were enrolled in Phenix City Schools when the old Acceleration Academy was paused. They will age out of middle school before the new program starts. Sylvia Averett, director of secondary teaching and learning for the district, acknowledged the disruption directly.

We do know that change is hard for our students that were previously this year, the sixth and seventh grade students. And it’s unfortunate that they weren’t able to participate in this particular program. However, in Phoenix City Schools, we have a plethora of opportunities for our students to still accelerate their learning.

Averett pointed to other district offerings as the path forward for the students who missed the window. The district did not name specific alternatives in the announcement, and more information is expected to reach families through their schools.

Coding and Engineering Move Deeper Into Acceleration

The Advanced Academy’s tech rotations place computer science with coding and engineering inside the same acceleration track that used to be math-and-science-only. That changes the scope of what the district considers an accelerated middle school education. The shift puts applied tech skills on the same footing as core academic acceleration.

The broader push is visible in other corners of K-12. On May 13, 2026, the National Catholic Educational Association started a free Google AI training series for Catholic K-12 teachers, calling it a “major expansion” of its relationship with Google for Education, per a report on the Catholic schools’ Google AI training launch.

Phenix City’s approach differs in scope and philosophy. Where the Catholic schools’ program partners with a single major vendor for teacher training, the Advanced Academy builds tech exposure directly into the student schedule through its own rotations. Both efforts place tech skills in the years before high school.

The Academy will start small, with a single grade level of new sixth graders. Whether the model holds depends on the five accountability measures working in practice and on whether state standards continue to evolve. The district has not said whether the program will expand to seventh and eighth graders in later years, the grades the old Acceleration Academy served. Families will get more information through their schools in the coming weeks.

Frequently Asked Questions

When does the Phenix City Advanced Academy start?

The Advanced Academy is set to return for rising sixth graders in the 2026-2027 school year at Phenix City Intermediate School. The district has not yet published a full application timeline.

What innovation rotations does the new program add?

The Academy adds four rotations to the accelerated math, science, and language arts path: digital media, visual arts, engineering, and computer science with coding.

Who is eligible for the Advanced Academy?

Admission is based on test scores, academic performance, and behavior. The district says more information will be sent to families through the school.

Why was the original Acceleration Academy paused?

In August 2025, the district said revisions to the Alabama State Department of Education’s Courses of Study made the original acceleration model no longer feasible. A state board representative disputed that explanation.

What happens to students who were in sixth and seventh grade when the program paused?

Those students will age out of middle school before the new program launches. District director Sylvia Averett said other accelerated learning opportunities remain available to them.