Turning Point Academy is the culmination of many years of hard work and dedication to centralize and unify the alternative learning programs in Cleveland County.
The history of the school goes back a joint effort by Cleveland County Schools, Shelby City Schools, and Kings Mountain District Schools to create and maintain an alternative learning program for the 'at-risk' students of the county. The three schools districts combined funding to support this school with KMDS facilities located at 500 West Parker Street in the old district office location of KMDS. Mrs. Mary Accor was chosen to be the first principal of what was then Parker Street School, and the teachers employed were under the umbrella of KMDS.
Parker Street School opened its doors in January 1995 for the Spring 1995 semester. Students were screened by an oversight committee and admitted through a selective process. Only grades six through ten were served. Students were bused to Kings Mountain after their initial bus route to their home schools. The intent of the school was to selectively admit students who could benefit from a smaller community of teachers and a more individualized program. The next year, Parker Street was allotted its own buses to run three routes in the county.
In, the fall of 1998, the alumni of Davidson School petitioned the Kings Mountain School board to change the name in honor of their former school. It was also during this time that the Shelby City Schools elected to remove their students from the program as Shelby City began to their own program, Developmental Academy. Davidson School continued to serve both Kings Mountain and Cleveland County students. Still at this time, there were very few students in grades above the tenth.
Shelby City Schools also began the Phoenix Program for students that were 'long term' suspended from their schools. This program merged with the Developmental Academy in 2005 to serve more students in grades six through twelve.
After the merger of the three county school systems, the decision was made to combine the two programs into one, Cleveland County Alternative Program or C-CAP. It involved moving into a large mobile unit in Shelby, which would be more centrally located and shorten the bus routes. The new facility and increased staff enabled the school to expand the number of students. The school underwent another name change in the summer of 2009 as it became Turning Point Academy.
In the spring of 2012, Turning Point Academy held its first graduation as seven students graduated on the differentiated (21 credit diploma track).
In the summer of 2013, Turning Point Academy moved into an renovated space behind the new Central Offices of Cleveland County Schools providing for the first time a cafeteria and an onsite gym.
The PASS program was created in December of 2014 and placed on the TPA campus. The PASS program is part of the Alexander Youth Network Day Treatment program, andservesstudents from Kindergarten throughfifth grade. Students receive both academic instruction and intensive individual and group therapies during the school day to address each child's unique academic and mental health needs. August 2018 PASS moved from the TPA campus to the North Shelby Campus. This allowed room for AYN to move from South Post Road to the TPA campus.