Southern Preparatory Academy is a private military school located in Camp Hill, Alabama for boys in grades 6–12.

Dr. Lyman Ward founded the academy in 1898 as a non-profit, non-denominational institution for the rural youth of Alabama.

The original purpose was to provide a secondary education for those with the ability to learn, the willingness to work, and in turn better themselves.

In 1901, the State of Alabama granted Ward a charter incorporating the school with the name, The Southern Industrial Institute, Inc.

In 1966, the school became a member of the JROTC program and is currently assigned a retired officer and NCO by the Department of Army.

The academy is focused on college preparation and has added programs to include drone certification, private pilot training, a flight simulator and welding.

Southern Prep is on the Semester System (Block Schedule) with the student load for grades 9-12 consisting of eight courses per year.

Qualified sophomores, juniors, and seniors are eligible to take honors and dual enrollment classes.

The Drill Team is open to all cadets in 9-12th grade and competes in several state and national competitions throughout the school year.

The Southern Prep Color Guard is open to all cadets from 9th to 12th grade who are in the appropriate height range.

The Sword Drill Team typically performs only once, at the end of the year on Military Day.

Southern Prep was one of the first two high schools in the State of Alabama to field an interscholastic soccer team.

Southern Prep was crowned as state champions in 2010 (AISA) with a 12-1-0 record and Area Champs in 2009.

Southern Prep competes as a Class AAA member of the Alabama Independent School Association.

In early 2005, Lyman Ward Military Academy was sued for alleged abuse committed by staff and senior students.

[6] There were eight lawsuits alleging brutal hazing and abuse by senior cadets and school officials.

[9] In 2007, Walter Edward Myer - a former camp director at the school - was imprisoned for twenty years for committing child sexual abuse against students in the 1990s.