When Indiana Pacer guard Stephen Jackson was in the 11th- grade his mother Judyette Jackson said he left Lincoln High School — now the Memorial High School ninth grade campus — to attend classes at Oak Hill Academy in Mouth of Wilson, Va.

Oak Hill Academy is a co-ed Baptist prep school and Stephen Jackson enrolled there because he had fallen behind in math. The school allowed him to get back on track by taking two math classes in one year, something he could not do at Lincoln, Judyette Jackson said.

On Wednesday, surrounded by a crowd of about 50 people comprised of family, friends and city dignitaries, Jackson and his mother cut a blue ribbon in front of the future Stephen Jackson Academy.

“I’ve been thinking about this for a long time,” Judyette Jackson said after the ribbon cutting ceremony. “I don’t want any kids to leave school to get the classes they need.”

Stephen Jackson credited his time at Oak Hill Academy with creating an environment which allowed him to focus on his school work.

The Stephen Jackson Academy is located at 338 Procter St., in the old Mandell furniture store building. When it is renovated, it will provide classes to pre-kindergarten through 12th-grade students. Students will pay tuition to attend.

Plans are for the Academy to be temporarily located in the Jesse Jackson Educational Building of Mount Calvary Baptist Church at the corner of Dallas Avenue and 15th Street.

Classes will only be offered to pre-kindergarten through sixth grade students the first semester. But by January of 2007, when the academy’s permanent building is expected to be renovated, all grade levels will be taught.

General classes will be taught on the first and second floors of the building and plans are for the third floor to be used for drama, dance and music classes.

“This is very special to me, probably more special to me than the championship,” said Stephen Jackson, who was a member of the San Antonio Spurs team that won the 2003 NBA championship. “Port Arthur is my home. This is where I’m from; I bleed Port Arthur.”

Stephen Jackson also took time out to thank his family and the people who have supported him from his days at Booker T. Washington Elementary School to his days as a high school student at Lincoln High School.

Stephen Jackson has relatives on his mother’s and his father’s sides of the family who are educators — one of whom is a professor at the University of Texas Austin — who plan to aid Jackson and his mother in running the academy.

After three years operating, the academy will be evaluated for accreditation by the Texas Private School Accreditation Commission, Judyette Jackson said.

Stephen Jackson will serve as chief executive officer of the academy and Judyette Jackson will serve as president of the organization.

Stephen Jackson has not disclosed how much money he will donate to the academy, but his mother did say he would be fund-raising for the academy and the pair hoped to receive grants for the academy.