Military School Info

Fork Union Military Academy (FUMA) established in 1898, is a accredited secondary school for young men who are in grades 6 through 12 and post graduates. It is located in Fork Union, Virginia and accepts boarding  students. This article provides an overview of the school.

History and Mission

Fork Union Military Academy was founded by Dr. William Hatcher in 1898. A Baptist minister, Dr. Hatcher incorporated Christian values into a college preparatory curriculum and leadership preparation. Today these values are shared with a diverse student body, only 20 percent of which is Baptist.

The military focus is purposely different from both the ROTC and JROTC model. Fork Union Military Academy is accredited by the Virginia Association of Independent Schools. It is also a member of the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) and the Association of Military Colleges and Schools of the United States (AMCSUS).

The mission of the school is to provide an atmosphere that involves structure and discipline, but does not involve the kind of tactics that are sometimes referred to as “boot camp” programs. Neither does it offer a therapeutic environment for troubled teens.

Facilities and School Year

Facilities at Fork Union Military Academy include a technology center, a science hall that incorporates a planetarium, an aquatic center with a pool, an athletic center, and a museum housed in the alumni house. The school year runs from early September to the third week of May. Leave weekends are given in October and February and Easter. Longer vacations are given at Thanksgiving, Christmas, and the last week of winter.

Academics and Other Offerings

In middle school, students typically take English, math, science, history, health/physical education, and a period with alternating instruction in art, computers, and drama. In eighth grade, qualified students have a chance to substitute beginning French for the activity period.

High school courses are offered with honors and AP alternatives in a number of areas. Advanced Placement is offered in Biology, Calculus, English, Psychology, U.S. Government, and U.S. History.  In addition, courses with dual enrollment and college credit, including Calculus, Computer Science, English Composition, International Relations, Political Science, and Pre-Calculus/Trigonometry. Languages offered are Latin, German, and Spanish. Fine Arts includes opportunities for Band and Chorus.  

Fork Union Military Academy has an unusual class schedule. Students take one class at a time: they are immersed in one subject, all day, every day for seven weeks, with one teacher. When study of that subject is concluded, the student moves on to the next subject, and so on for five grading periods in the school year. They call this approach the “One Subject Plan.”

And English as a Second Language is available for international students, and there is a resource class for students with what the school calls “learning differences.” Sports teams include basketball, cross country, football, indoor soccer, indoor track, rifle team, soccer, swimming and diving, track, and wrestling.

Outcomes

Fork Union Military Academy ’s website claims that for the past five years more than 99 percent of graduates have been granted admission to the college or university they have chosen upon graduation. From FUMA. Graduates have attended institutions of higher education in Virginia, such as Virginia Tech and Virginia State University, academies such as the United States Naval Academy at Annapolis and the United States Military Academy at West Point, and other schools with military ties, such as Virginia Military Institute and The Citadel. Well-known graduates include football player Vinny Testaverde (Class of 1982) .

Admissions

Admission to Fork Union Military Academy depends on the applicant’s application, two teacher recommendations, a character evaluation, and contacts between the applicant and Fork Union Military Academy personnel. Visits are encouraged.

Source

forkunion.com