Thales Academy

Thales Academy, a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit school, was established in 2007 by Robert L. Luddy, a North Carolina entrepreneur, educator, philanthropist, and founder of CaptiveAire Systems. Prior to Thales, Luddy founded Franklin Academy in Wake Forest, one of the state's largest charter schools, and St. Thomas More Academy in Raleigh, an independent Catholic college preparatory school. Luddy founded Thales in an effort to create a model school to offer a higher quality education than local schools at a more affordable cost.^[3]

Since its founding, Thales Academy has opened eight locations, with more in development.^[2] As of January 2025, the former Bullwinkle's in Raleigh is being converted into a gym for the nearby Cary campus.^[4]

Current locations for Thales Academy are Clayton, Rolesville, Holly Springs, Knightdale, Raleigh, Apex, Wake Forest, and Waxhaw, North Carolina, with developing campuses in Cary, and Pittsboro and now 1 in Virginia and 1 in Tennessee .^[2] The newly constructed, two-story brick buildings consist of approximately 20 classrooms on 34,000 square feet (grades K–5 campuses) or 55,000 square feet (grades 6–12 campuses). The buildings feature Greek columns, polished concrete floors, large windows, and painted classical murals in hallways in an effort to instill “the importance of order and beauty.”^[5] K–5 campuses offer playgrounds with artificial turf. Most junior high and high school campuses offer full-sized gymnasiums and auditoriums as well as outdoor soccer fields - Thales Academy Apex no longer has their field, instead opting for a second 9-12 building.

Thales Academy uses a classical education method to educate its students. In grades K–5, the school uses a methodology known as Direct Instruction (DI). DI uses repetition and frequent assessment to verify student achievement before moving to the next lesson.^[3] Lessons are fast-paced with choral responses to maintain student engagement.^[6] In grades 6–12, DI is phased out as students begin to use the Socratic Method through education in the trivium. Classes are grouped by student ability, allowing for larger class sizes.^[7] As a college-preparatory school, Thales Academy offers a STEM-focused elective track called the “Luddy Institute of Technology,” known to students simply as “LIT”, which teaches pre-engineering classes for high school students,^[8] allowing students to learn about 3D computer-assisted design (CAD), like Solidworks

Thales Academy participates in the North Carolina Independent Schools Athletic Association (NCISAA) across multiple campuses including Apex, Rolesville, Flowers-Plantation and Holly springs. Athletic programs include basketball, soccer, volleyball, baseball, softball, golf, and cross country. Athletics are incorporated into the school's broader educational philosophy emphasizing leadership, discipline, teamwork, and sportsmanship.