The Piney Woods School is a historically African-American college preparatory boarding high school. Located on 2,000 acres in rural Mississippi, the school is composed of a 65-acre campus and a 500 acre farm. The rest of the campus is in managed timber. Founded in 1909 by Professor Laurence C. Jones, The Piney Woods School primarily serves students from low socio-economic backgrounds. Tuition is charged based on a student's ability to pay. No student is turned away for lack of money. A Christian based school, it focuses on a "head, heart and hands" philosophy, combining academic and Christian education with a mandatory work program to promote development of a strong work ethic. Although discipline is strictly enforced, The Piney Woods School is not a "boot camp" or reform school.