History

Dr. Ruby Eldridge, Pastor of Pure Word Ministries in Eight Mile, Alabama, founded Pure Word Academy in 2005 after seeing the need for children in her church be given the same opportunities to receive a college prep private school education as those more fortunate in the Mobile area.

In 2008, “Miss” Ruby reached out to local businessman Sandy Stimpson, prior to being elected Mayor of the City of Mobile, to solicit his support in helping the school progress to the next level and become sustainable. With 25 students in Kindergarten to 2nd Grade, the school’s name was officially changed to Prichard Preparatory School, Inc., and moved into a small brick house where it remained for five years. In 2010, PPS moved into its current location on Mt. Sinai Avenue, the site of a former public elementary school, and began offering one classroom each for Pre-K4 – 5th Grades.

In 2014, with new financial support through the Alabama Accountability Act scholarship program, the Board of Directors implemented a growth strategy to double the size of the school by the year 2020 starting with Pre-K4 and adding one class each year until each grade had two classrooms. 

The founding purpose of Prichard Prep was to provide its students with a strong academic foundation with the ultimate goal of them attending college. It is our hope that upon graduating college, former Prichard Prep students will remain in or return to the Mobile area and become future leaders, helping this community develop into a safer, more economically sustainable place in which to live, work and thrive.

Since Prichard Preparatory School’s beginning in 2005, our students have been provided a strong academic foundation that allows them to easily transition into college preparatory private and magnet middle schools.

Achievements