[2] Hancock was chartered in 1966 as a segregation academy,[3] by George Darden and two other men.

[7] At the time of the school's founding, the population of the county was approximately 80% White and 20% Black.

The White segment, 180 students in grades K-12, migrated "nearly en-masse" to John Hancock Academy.

[8] Two black children attended Hancock during the 2015–2016 school year.

[1] The sports teams nickname is the Rebels, and the mascot is a confederate general.