“Knox Academy didn’t start as a school. It started as a fight for my son,” said Gilliland, the school’s founder, owner, and administrator. “Help me build a school for our kids, and I’ll help you build a movement for all kids who need what we have.”

Its guiding belief: a school designed to treat the whole child.

Knox Academy, the only ABA provider in Jones County and a K3–7th grade school serving children with autism and developmental disabilities, today announced a $500,000 first-phase capital campaign toward a $4.5 million purpose-built campus on a recently secured 12-acre property. The school was founded by Julie Gilliland after she went looking for a place that could serve her son, John Knox, and couldn’t find one. So she built it.

The numbers tell the story plainly: 40 children are enrolled, and roughly 400 families remain on the waiting list. Knox is the only local provider of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapy in Jones County, and demand has long since outpaced the school’s current footprint. Families in rural south Mississippi continue to face limited local options, delayed access, and long travel distances for coordinated education and therapy.

Phase 1 of the campaign — $500,000 — funds the land acquisition and the first modular classroom, therapy room, and sensory regulation space on the new campus. Subsequent phases will deliver three additional modular classrooms, two more therapy rooms, a kitchen and nutrition area, an inclusive playground and outdoor learning environments, and modern security infrastructure. The school is using purpose-built modular construction to allow phased expansion without interrupting services to current students.

Knox Academy’s approach integrates academics with ABA therapy, developmental support, wellness, nutrition education, and movement — all delivered on-site in a Montessori-inspired environment, rather than through fragmented appointments scattered across the region. The school hosts community Knox Talks that bring physicians, educators, and wellness professionals to rural families. Knox partners with the University of Southern Mississippi psychology department, Bright Steps Therapy, Jones College, and other community organizations to bring specialized clinical services, developmental evaluations, and educational support to families in an underserved rural area.

The school’s growth, and the unmet need in rural Mississippi, have drawn attention at the federal level. In recent meetings in Washington, D.C., Gilliland met with Senator Roger Wicker, Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith, Representative Mike Ezell, and Representative Michael Guest. The campaign is open to financial contributions as well as in-kind support, including materials, labor, and professional services from local trades and businesses.

About Knox Academy

Knox Academy is a K3–7th grade school in Ellisville, Mississippi, serving children with autism and developmental disabilities through a whole-child model that combines Montessori education with integrated, on-site therapies, wellness, and parent collaboration. Founded by Julie Gilliland and named for her son, John Knox, the school is the only ABA provider in Jones County and partners with regional universities and clinical providers to serve families in underserved rural communities.

Media Contact

Johanna Maaghul • Clear Lantern Media • johanna@clearlantern.media