In 1889 Quinton Mials and his wife, Lillie, opened a school for local Black children. This public school was known as the Clayton Negro School. It was later renamed William Mason Cooper High School, in honor of a leading Black educator who was former principal at Johnston County Training School. Schools in Clayton were fully integrated in 1969. Cooper High was converted to a junior high school and eventually became Cooper Elementary School.

Today it is home to Cooper Academy, a college prep, dual language elementary school.