Midtown High School (Atlanta)

Last updated
Midtown High School
Midtown High School.jpg
Midtown High School seen from its new front entrance (Renovated 2020) on Charles Allen Dr.
Address
Midtown High School (Atlanta)
929 Charles Allen Drive

Atlanta
,
Georgia

United States
Coordinates 33°46′50″N84°22′18″W / 33.780633°N 84.371613°W / 33.780633; -84.371613
Information
Former namesBoys High School (1872-1947)
Henry W. Grady High School (1947-2021)
Type Public secondary
Mottoscientia est potestas (Knowledge is Power)
Established1872;152 years ago (1872)
School district Atlanta Public Schools
PrincipalBetsy Bockman
Faculty102.90 (FTE) [1]
Grades 9 – 12
Enrollment1,602 (2022–23) [1]
Student to teacher ratio15.57 [1]
Color(s)   Grey and cardinal red
Mascot Knight
NewspaperThe Southerner
YearbookThe Orator
Website atlantapublicschools.us/midtown

Midtown High School, formerly Henry W. Grady High School, is a public high school located in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. It began as Boys High School and was one of the first two high schools established by Atlanta Public Schools in 1872. In 1947, the school was named after Henry W. Grady, a journalist, orator in the Reconstruction Era. In December 2020, the Atlanta Board of Education announced the new name of Midtown which took effect June 1, 2021.

Contents

Midtown is located adjacent to Piedmont Park at 929 Charles Allen Drive, between 8th and 10th Streets, in Midtown Atlanta.

Areas served

In addition to Midtown Atlanta, the school serves Inman Park, Virginia-Highland, Poncey–Highland, Lake Claire, Candler Park, Old Fourth Ward, Morningside-Lenox Park, Home Park, Atlantic Station, Ansley Park, 10th and Home, the designated family housing unit of Georgia Tech, and parts of Downtown Atlanta. [2] Midtown High also includes the Emory University area. [3] The boundary includes graduate housing complexes which partner with Emory University. [4] The Emory area was annexed into Atlanta effective January 1, 2018. [5] The area was scheduled to join APS in 2024 (previously it was in the DeKalb County School District). [6]

Elementary schools feeding into Midtown High are: Centennial Place, Mary Lin, Hope-Hill, Morningside, and Springdale Park. David T Howard Middle School also feeds into Midtown.

History

Dedicatory plaque in the 1924 wing Grady High School plaque PICT0310 r1.jpg
Dedicatory plaque in the 1924 wing

Initially known as Boys High School, it had a Technical Department which expanded in 1909 to become a separate school: Tech High. The "Henry W. Grady Senior High School for Boys" moved to the current campus site in 1924. The 1924 structure (the wing of the campus facing Charles Allen Dr.) still stands, and has been renovated three times (1950, 1987, and 2004). Between 1909 and 1924, Tech High also moved to the campus' current location. Tech High and Boys High merged in 1947 under the name Henry Woodfin Grady High School.

Grady served as the communication magnet in the Atlanta Public Schools system from 1991 until 2011, when the school closed the magnet following a system-wide grant from the Gates Foundation to open small learning communities. From 2011 to 2015, Grady was home to four small learning communities: Communications and Journalism, Public Policy and Justice, Business and Entrepreneurship, and Biomedical Science and Engineering. In 2015, Grady High School course offerings expanded to include the following pathways: Advanced Academic, World Languages, Fine Arts, Instrumental Music, Theatre Arts, Visual Arts, and Career, Technical and Agricultural Education (CTAE). [7] In 2016–17, it was used during the production of the 2017 Marvel Studios film Spider-Man: Homecoming , which is set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).

Controversy over name

Grady's advocacy of white supremacy has resulted in his name being removed from a number of institutions. In January 2016, Henry W. Grady Middle School in Houston was renamed. [8]

In February 2016, the school newspaper argued that Henry Grady's name should be removed from the school as well. [9]

In July 2020, the Atlanta Board of Education formed a committee to consider a new name. [10] On December 15, 2020, the Board officially announced the name change to Midtown High School effective June 1, 2021. [11]

Curriculum and activities

Arts

Knights of Sound

The school has a band, Knights of Sound Band (made of a marching band, a concert/symphonic band, and a jazz band). [12]

Chorus

The school also has a chorus. [13]

School publications

The Unmasking

The Unmasking literary magazine was founded in 1988 as a collection of student art, literature, and criticism edited by Midtown students, published every spring. The magazine was named "Best in Show" by the National Scholastic Press Association twice, in 2005 (Seattle) and 2001 (Boston). [14]

The Southerner

The Southerner is a monthly newspaper written by Midtown students. Part of the High School National Ad Network, it has been published since 1947. The Southerner has won numerous awards, such as the Pacemaker Award and the Quill & Scroll Award, earning the publication nationwide acclaim. [15]

GNN and Gametime

Grady News Now and Gametime were Midtown High School's programs in broadcast journalism, and are also recipients of many awards. GNN won its first Pacemaker in November 2005. Gametime is a weekly show dedicated to the coverage of prevalent sports stories as well as scores and highlights from all scholastic athletic events. It won the GSPA (Georgia Scholastic Press Association) award for the best new breakthrough production. [16]

Nexus

Nexus, written by Midtown students, was a bimonthly magazine. Its success in the 2004–2005 school year was at first limited, with only a handful of editions, as that was its first year and it started late. Its second year (2005–2006) saw great success when Nexus gained the Start-Up achievement award from the Georgia Scholastic Press Association. In the 2008–2009 school year Nexus won "All Southern" from SIPA. [17]

Sports

As of the 2021–22 season.
TypeCompetitionState TitlesSeason(s)Sources
Boys SportsBaseball0
Basketball0
Cross Country0
Football11953 [18]
Golf0
Ice Hockey0
Lacrosse0
Soccer0
Swimming0
Wrestling0
Tennis0
Track & Field0
Girls SportsBasketball0
Cheerleading0
Cross Country0
Golf0
Lacrosse0
Soccer0
Softball0
Swimming0
Tennis0
Track & Field11988
Volleyball0

Key:

  School Boys' Record
  School Girls' Record

Demographics of student body

As of October 2021, the school had 1,473 students. [23]

Several rap videos have been shot on campus, including videos by popular artists Dem Franchize Boyz, Freak Nasty, and Outkast. In 2011, the campus hosted MTV's hit show Teen Wolf as it made its television debut. Several movies have been shot on campus, including Remember the Titans , Ride Along , The Duff , Love, Simon, and Spider-Man: Homecoming .

Notable alumni

The following are notable alumni of Boys High (pre-1947), Henry W. Grady High (1947-2021) or Midtown High (2021-present), listed with their graduating class and notable accomplishments:

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North Atlanta High School</span> Public high school in Atlanta, Georgia, United States

North Atlanta High School is a comprehensive public high school of approximately 2300 students in the Paces neighborhood of the Buckhead community of Atlanta, Georgia, United States. The school is a part of Atlanta Public Schools (APS).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St. Pius X Catholic High School (Chamblee, Georgia)</span> Private Catholic high school in Atlanta, Georgia, United States

St. Pius X Catholic High School is a private Catholic high school in Atlanta, DeKalb County, Georgia, United States, in the city of Atlanta. It was founded by the Archdiocese of Atlanta in 1958.

Eagle's Landing Christian Academy (ELCA) is a private Christian school is located on an 86-acre campus twenty-five miles south of Atlanta in McDonough, Georgia, United States. It ranks 14th in the Atlanta Business Chronicle of Atlanta's 75 largest private schools. It is a ministry of Eagle's Landing First Baptist Church. Eagle's Landing Christian Academy is accredited by AdvancED and the Georgia Accrediting Commission (GAC). In addition, Eagle's Landing Christian Academy is a member of the Georgia High School Association (GHSA), Region 5-AA, Southern Baptist Association of Christian Schools, Association of Christian Schools International, Atlanta Christian Schools Association, The College Board, and the Georgia Independent School Association.  

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roswell High School (Georgia)</span> Public high school in Roswell, Georgia, United States

Roswell High School (RHS) is a public high school in Roswell, Georgia, United States which opened in 1949. It serves the entire city of Roswell west of Georgia State Route 400 and the city of Mountain Park, as well as small portions of Alpharetta and Milton. Roswell High School neighbors both Fellowship Christian School and Blessed Trinity Catholic High School. It is also the second oldest of Fulton County's schools in the northern portion of the county, opening between Milton High School (1921), and Chattahoochee High School (1991). Roswell is currently on its third campus, which opened in 1990. The current building is the oldest in-use high school building in north Fulton.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Centennial High School (Georgia)</span> School in Roswell, Fulton County, Georgia, United States

Centennial High School is a public high school located in Roswell, Georgia, United States. It opened in 1997. The school was named in honor of the 1996 Olympic games held in Atlanta a year before the school's opening, which marked the centennial anniversary of the modern games.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lakeside High School (DeKalb County, Georgia)</span> Public high school in DeKalb County, Georgia, United States

Lakeside High School is a public high school in unincorporated DeKalb County, Georgia, United States. The school is a part of the DeKalb County School District.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Atlanta Public Schools</span> Education organization in Atlanta, United States

Atlanta Public Schools (APS) is a school district based in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. It is run by the Atlanta Board of Education with Superintendent Dr. Bryan Johnson. The system has an active enrollment of 54,956 students, attending a total of 103 school sites: 50 elementary schools, 15 middle schools, 21 high schools, four single-gender academies and 13 charter schools. The school system also supports two alternative schools for middle and/or high school students, two community schools, and an adult learning center.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Valdosta High School</span> Public high school in Valdosta, Georgia, United States

Valdosta High School is a public high school located in Valdosta, Georgia, United States. It is a part of the Valdosta City School District.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Westlake High School (Georgia)</span> Public high school in Fulton County, Georgia, United States

Westlake High School is a comprehensive public high school located in South Fulton, Georgia and is accredited by the Georgia Department of Education and Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. The academic growth rate for Westlake students was higher than 95% of schools in the state and was above the state average in college readiness in 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maynard H. Jackson High School</span> Public high school in Atlanta, Georgia, United States

Maynard H. Jackson High School is a high school of 1,551 students, with the capacity for 1,500. Jackson High is located in southeast Atlanta, Georgia, United States along the BeltLine in Grant Park, just south of I-20. The school is a part of Atlanta Public Schools. In July 2017, Dr. Adam Danser was appointed as principal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Benjamin Elijah Mays High School</span> Public high school in Atlanta, Georgia, United States

Benjamin E. Mays High School is a public school located in southwest Atlanta, Georgia, United States, serving grades 9–12. It is a part of the Atlanta Public School System and is a Georgia School of Excellence. The school was established in the fall of 1981 and was named after Benjamin Elijah Mays, an educator, author and civil rights activist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Norcross High School</span> American public high school

Norcross High School is a public high school in Norcross, Georgia, United States, part of the Gwinnett County School System, and serving the cities of Norcross and Peachtree Corners. The school's mascot is the Blue Devil.

Rockdale County High School is located in the heart of Conyers, Georgia, United States, in the old-town district. RCHS is one of three high schools located in Rockdale County, along with Heritage High School and Salem High School. RCHS formerly hosted the Rockdale Magnet School for Science and Technology on its campus before they moved to the CJ Hicks Elementary School complex.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South Forsyth High School</span> Public high school in Cumming, Georgia, United States

South Forsyth High School is a public high school, built in 1989, located in Cumming, Georgia, a suburb northeast of Atlanta. It is one of eight public high schools in the Forsyth County School District, and serves students who live in parts of unincorporated Cumming. In 2023, South Forsyth High School was ranked #276 on US News' "Best High Schools Ranking". The school has been given an "A" rating and Platinum status by the Governor's Office of Student Achievement for more than five years. South Forsyth High School has offered the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme and the Career-Related Programme since 2000 and 2012, respectively.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Warner Robins High School</span> High school in Warner Robins, Georgia, United States

Warner Robins High School is a high school in Warner Robins, Georgia, United States. It was established in 1944 and enrolls approximately 1,690 students.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eddie S Henderson Stadium</span> High school football stadium in Atlanta, Georgia

Eddie S Henderson Stadium is an Atlanta Public School football stadium located in Midtown Atlanta, south of Piedmont Park. The stadium is one of two stadiums owned and managed by the Atlanta Public School (APS) system, the other being Lakewood Stadium. It is the only high school stadium in APS that is located on the campus of a high school. The stadium was used as a training site for athletes during the 1996 Olympic Games, and occasionally hosts public practices for the Atlanta Falcons. Henderson Stadium was designed by Richard Aeck, and is considered a masterpiece of modern engineering expression. For the fall of 2009, Henderson Stadium was closed due to renovation. All games were played at Lakewood Stadium and the Georgia Dome.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lee County High School (Georgia)</span> Public school in Leesburg, Georgia, United States

Lee County High School is a public school located in Leesburg, Georgia, United States. The mascot is the Trojan and the school colors are red and black.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Milton High School (Georgia)</span> Public high school in Milton, Fulton County, Georgia, United States

Milton High School is a high school in Milton, Fulton County, Georgia, United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pacelli High School (Columbus, Georgia)</span> Private, coeducational school in Columbus, Georgia, United States

Pacelli High School is a private, Roman Catholic high school in Columbus, Georgia, United States. It is located in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Savannah and is the only Catholic high school in southwestern Georgia. The school is connected to St. Anne School, and both schools are governed through a joint system by St. Anne Catholic Church.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David T. Howard High School</span> School in the United States

David T. Howard High School was a school for African American students in Atlanta, Georgia. It has many prominent alumni. In 2018 the school was being renovated for a planned 2020 reopening as a middle school. Alumni include Martin Luther King Jr., Maynard Jackson who became Atlanta's first Black mayor, Walt Frazier who played basketball at the school, Lonnie King, Vernon Jordan, Clarence Cooper (judge), and gold medal-winning Olympian Mildred McDaniel Singleton. It is located at 551 John Wesley Dobbs Avenue. It was named for prominent businessman and philanthropist David Tobias Howard.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Grady High School". National Center for Education Statistics.
  2. ↑ "Grady Zone" (PDF). Atlanta Public Schools .
  3. ↑ "Midtown High School". Atlanta Public Schools . Retrieved July 17, 2024. - Use the map to find where Emory University is.
  4. ↑ "Off-Campus and Graduate Housing". Emory University. Retrieved July 17, 2024.
  5. ↑ Niesse, Mark. "City of Atlanta's expansion to Emory and CDC approved". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution . Archived from the original on December 5, 2017. Retrieved December 5, 2017.
  6. ↑ McCray, Vanessa (December 10, 2019). "APS, DeKalb annexation deal could pay for six school health clinics". Atlanta Journal-Constitution . Retrieved March 11, 2020.
  7. ↑ "HENRY W. GRADY HIGH SCHOOL" (PDF). Atlanta Public Schools .
  8. ↑ Rhone, Nedra (January 15, 2016). "Henry Grady school in Houston renamed because of Confederate ties". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution .
  9. ↑ Bloom, Molly (February 10, 2016). "Atlanta school newspaper calls for renaming Grady High School". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution .
  10. ↑ McCray, Vanessa (July 2, 2020). "Grady High, Brown Middle among schools Atlanta board could rename". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution .
  11. ↑ "APS school board approves new names for Grady High, Brown Middle schools". WSB-TV . December 15, 2020.
  12. ↑ "Midtown Bands".
  13. ↑ "Grady High School Chorus".
  14. ↑ "The Unmasking".
  15. ↑ "The Southerner".
  16. ↑ "Grady News Now" – via Facebook.
  17. ↑ "Nexus Magazine" – via Twitter.
  18. ↑ "GHSA Football Champions | GHSA.net". www.ghsa.net.
  19. ↑ Taylor, Bruce (March 29, 2011). "Georgia High School Track and Field". ga.milesplit.com. Retrieved June 16, 2013.
  20. ↑ Taylor, Bruce (March 29, 2012). "Georgia High School Track and Field". ga.milesplit.com. Retrieved June 16, 2013.
  21. ↑ Taylor, Bruce (March 30, 2013). "Georgia High School Track and Field". ga.milesplit.com. Retrieved June 16, 2013.
  22. ↑ Figueroa, Steve. "Georgia High School Association". Georgia High School Association. Retrieved June 16, 2013.
  23. ↑ "APS Enrollment Data 1994-2019". December 6, 2019.
  24. ↑ Goodwin, George. "Boys' High memories: In 1983, 36 years after its closing, alumni gathered for first time". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
  25. ↑ "IN MEMORIAM: Chief Justice P. Harris Hines" (PDF). Supreme Court of Georgia .
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.