The General Assembly of the state of North Carolina in an effort “to increase educational opportunity by authorizing the creation and funding of charter schools,” ratified House Bill 955 on June 21, 1996. The bill authorized a system of charter schools to provide opportunities for teachers, parents, pupils, and community members to establish and maintain schools that operate independently of existing schools. Charter schools were established as a method to accomplish the following:  improve student learning, encourage the use of different and innovative teaching methods, provide parents and students with expanded choices in the types of educational opportunities that are available within the public school system, and hold the schools established accountable for meeting measurable student achievement results.

Members of the FREE Board (Financial Reform for Excellence in Education) applied for the establishment of a charter school. The charter was approved on May 21, 1998 and River Mill Charter School opened its doors in a restored mill on banks of the Haw River in Saxapahaw. Opening day enrollment on August 18, 1998 was 202 students. In order for the school’s name to reflect the strong emphasis on academics, RMCS was renamed River Mill Academy in 2001. As enrollment increased, River Mill Academy began to look for a new location and in the fall of 2003, moved to our current location in Graham. In 2004, River Mill Academy obtained ownership of its own charter.

Our current enrollment is just under 600 students in grades kindergarten through 12. Construction of additional classroom space and a media center was recently completed.