Why Crossnore's Anderson Academy?

For over 100 years, Crossnore Communities for Children have served children at risk of entering the child welfare system, those already in the system, and those who are aging out of the system.

In 1913, Drs. Mary Martin and Eustace Sloop, a husband/wife duo, founded the Crossnore school in Crossnore, North Carolina in a rural part of Avery county. In more recent history, Crossnore and The Children's Home of WS have partnered to provide services and shape policies around child welfare. 

Along with residential care for children in the foster care system, Crossnore provides a slew of other tangential and support services. Crossnore's Continuum of Care includes a holistic and long-term approach to the care of their children and families from providing clinical therapeutic services to helping preserve the family unit to supporting kids aging out of the foster system.

Crossnore is launching the Anderson Academy - the only public charter school in Winston-Salem - which will ultimately serve children in grades K-8 by 2027. The 2025 year’s plan includes enrolling about 120 - K-4 students, 2 classes per grade, with a maximum of 12 students per class. 

Anderson Academy will enroll students through a lottery format with priority given to Crossnore residents, children in the foster care system, and children from families that qualify as either low income or at risk and / or experiencing some form of abuse or adversity. 

The Anderson Academy will model Williams Academy on the Crossnore Campus in Avery which has been operational since 1999. Crossnore models are inherently different as they incorporate culturally and regionally appropriate themes into a trauma-informed curriculum for this demographic of students.

Located at 1001 Reynolda Road, Anderson Academy and the Crossnore property is just around the corner from WFU. Not only does a partnership between ZSR and Crossnore promote community building and outreach, it also supports corresponding aspirations at ZSR embedded in learning inspiration and knowledge advancement as well as WFU Strategic Framework goals around building a community of partnerships (Aims 3.1 & 3.2). This initial effort will open doors to future long-term and multidisciplinary partnerships through campus tours and programs and student mentoring and teaching opportunities. 

At Anderson Academy, we believe that every child deserves a safe and supportive, learning environment where they can thrive academically and emotionally. As a resilience-focused school we provide personalized education, social-emotional learning, and individualized support to help students overcome challenges and unlock their full potential. Our goal is to prepare students for academic success and to help them build the confidence, skills, and relationships needed for a bright future. Anderson Academy is more than a school—it’s a community where every child is valued and empowered to succeed.