In 2000 MRA made the decision to define its beliefs and mission by enlisting the support of faculty, staff, parents, students, representatives of the community, and members of the Board of Trustees. This dedicated group chose the mission statement : Educating the mind, body, and spirit to emphasize the school’s commitment to providing excellence in academics, distinction in athletics, and transformation through an emphasis on Biblical truths. As MRA's reputation grew, so did the student body. In order to accommodate continued growth, a capital campaign, Imagine, was started with various phases being implemented throughout the years. Supported mainly by patrons, alumni, grandparents, and friends, these funds helped the school renovate existing buildings and construct new ones. In 2002 with enrollment at 796 students, through funding from the Imagine campaign, Madison Ridgeland Academy completed its most ambitious building project to that date, a state-of-the-art science and math complex, built for the secondary school. This building houses six science labs or classrooms; classrooms for multiple subjects; a presentation facility with theater-seating; and a computer lab. Today, this building is known as Thompson Hall. In 2010, a vision statement was developed to further illustrate the school’s beliefs and goals and to support the mission of educating the mind, body, and spirit. The vision statement is: Madison-Ridgeland Academy seeks to provide a college preparatory education in a climate where students are spiritually and intellectually equipped to serve Jesus Christ and our community. MRA adopted additional guiding documents over the next few years, documents which delineate and articulate the philosophy, goals, objectives, learning experiences, values, and expectations of students, faculty, and staff. These documents include the Portrait of a Graduate (2016), Characteristics of Professional Excellence (2017), the Culture of MRA (2017), and the Patriot Values ((2017.) Each of these documents is reviewed annually with students, staff, and the Board of Trustees. In 2017 with enrollment reaching 1141 students, MRA began a capital campaign, Our Family, Our Future to secure funding for a number of projects to enhance the academic facilities and to proactively deal with the effects of growth. Backed by a commitment of 2.5 million dollars from our patrons, alums, and other supporters, MRA began Phase One of the campaign: construction of a state-of-the-art Middle School Building and a 10,000 square foot Dining Commons which opened for the 2018-19 school year. This building was necessitated by seven consecutive years of growth reflecting record numbers of new students along with exemplary retention rates of existing students. The middle school building is three stories and houses all students in grades 6—8. In addition to academic classrooms, each floor of the building features a grade-specific STEM lab. Other additions to the building include a computer lab, music room with choral risers, biology lab, tech center, and an art room. Construction was completed for students in grades 1—12 to dine in a 10,000 square foot Dining Commons with additional outdoor dining and an extensive kitchen that also serves the preschool and kindergarten dining needs. An additional renovation during this phase included adding a new, first-class elementary playground. Completing the commitments made in the capital campaign, Phase Two began in the summer of 2019 with the demolition and reconstruction of a state of the art, turfed kindergarten playground and the opening of Ward Hall, the new Elementary Enrichment Center with labs for STEM, math, and computer along with an elementary multi-purpose gym.
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