William John Cooper Academy

"Cooper Academy" redirects here. For the training initiative of Cooper Research Technology, see Cooper Research Technology.
William John Cooper Academy

Inquire, Inspire, Innovate.
Address
2277 West Bellaire Way
Fresno, California, 93705-1736
United States
Information
School type Public, middle school
Established 1959 (1959)
Status Open
Authority Fresno Unified School District
Principal Kristine Belcher
Grades 6-8
Mascot Cougar
Website www.cooperacademyfresno.org

William John Cooper Academy is a middle school in Fresno, California operated by the Fresno Unified School District.

The school implements the International Baccalaureate Middle Years Program. The IB program was given to Cooper Middle School (the name of the school before it was Cooper Academy), since most students from Cooper Middle School would later on attend Fresno High School, a high school that implements the IB Diploma Program. During the 2012-2013 school year, there were about 430 students attending Cooper Academy.

The school was first approved to be built by the Fresno City Board of Education in November 1956[1] and opened as a junior high school (grades 7, 8 and 9) in the fall of 1959 with John Solo as the inaugural principal.[2] In the fall of 1978, William John Cooper Junior High School officially became William John Cooper Middle School (grades 7 and 8), when Hamilton Junior High School was made into a new "freshman school," educating only ninth graders.[3] The school is named for William John Cooper, a Californian, who served as United States Commissioner of Education under Presidents Coolidge, Hoover and Roosevelt from 1929 to 1933.[4][5][6] In August 2012, Cooper Middle School became Cooper Academy, starting with the 6th and 7th grade levels only. In August 2013 the 8th grade level was added.

Author William Saroyan lived two blocks from the school from 1964 to 1981, sometimes interacting with students.[7][8][9]

Notable alumni

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Board Assigns 10 School Jobs To Architects". 1956. The Fresno Bee (November 9, 1956).
  2. ↑ Fresno Unified School District Directory (1959-60)
  3. ↑ Fresno Unified School District Directory (1978-79)
  4. ↑ Addicott, Irwin O. 1980. "A History of Fresno Schools," published by the Fresno Unified School District Board of Education, pp. 37-38, (retrieved Jan. 14, 2011)
  5. ↑ Dow, John Allan. 1967. "History of Public School Organization and Administration in Fresno County, California," doctoral dissertation: University of Southern California (USC)
  6. ↑ "Data Regarding Physical Properties Compiled As An S.E.R.A. Project -- 1935," Fresno Unified School District
  7. ↑ Mayhew, Don. 2008. Man of many faces–Fresnans who knew William Saroyan late in his life recall him as a bundle of contradictions. The Fresno Bee (June 1, 2008), p. A1.
  8. ↑ McEwen, Bill. 2003. Arax plows new ground on Boswell. The Fresno Bee (December 11, 2003), p. B1.
  9. ↑ The Fresno Bee. 1988. 2nd Saroyan House Added to Local Register (December 22, 1988), p. B1.
  10. ↑ Tchekmedyian, Alene. 2013. Burbank taps top executive of Fresno to be new city manager. The Burbank Leader
  11. ↑ Mark Scott - Meet Your City Manager
  12. ↑ Sheehan, Tim. 2012. New opinion editor chosen - McEwen takes on Bee editorial pages. The Fresno Bee (December 27, 2012)
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