By Alicia Couch Payne
The City of Buford, once called the “New York of Gwinnett,” has always been a city ahead of its time. When Buford’s residents needed something and there wasn’t anyone available to provide it, like electricity, they started their own power company. The same applied to education. This year marks 150 years that a public school has been around and educating the children of Buford has always been a top priority for the city’s leaders.
It all started in 1869 in a log cabin on the property of N.W. Buice off of Shadburn Ferry Road. The school at that time was only open for three months out of the year and had just 25 students taught by Mr. J.W. Mitchell. The next school building was erected in 1872 on the site of the old Pirkle home off of New Street, and Professor John Espy was the superintendent at the time. It was in 1873 when W. Robert Poole, an Emory graduate and the headteacher, implemented the first September to May school year. Before long, the school could no longer hold the ever-growing student population as the city continued to grow at a fast pace.
The school that was referred to as the “Old Academy” opened in 1884 on Spring Street with Mr. H.D. Merriweather serving as the superintendent. The school shared the building with the Masonic Lodge who actually owned the title following financial difficulties. The Lodge used the upper level while for 20 years the school operated on the lower level.
The African American population of the city received their first school in 1890 when a new school opened off of Shadburn Avenue. Mr. E.B. Broughton was the first principal of that school. In 1906, the school moved to Gwinnett Street with Mr. J.S. Morgan as the principal. This school burned and was moved to a building off of Bona Road.
In 1900, W.N. Nunn was named as the first Co-Principal of the Academy. He became the Superintendent in 1909 until 1930, having served the children of Buford for over 30 years. Many of the high ideals that the school system still holds were introduced into the schools by Nunn.
Under Nunn, a new school that housed the grammar school, the high school, and an auditorium was built in 1906 near the cemetery. The school was a two-story brick building that served 150 students in grades 1-11. The auditorium was the cultural center of the city holding many plays, debates, and oratorical contests. By this time, attendance at school became mandatory for the children of Buford and truant officers were hired. The auditorium can still be seen standing proudly on the corner of Little Mill Road and Jackson Street.
Following WWII, several new schools were constructed including a high school, a grammar school, and a gymnasium off of Hill Street. A football field was constructed off of Hill Street as well. Part of the football field and the gymnasium can still be seen on Hill Street behind the Community Center. By 1956, Buford schools had an attendance of just over 800 students. In 1963, the Grenard-Watson building was built off of Bona Road and was named after two influential African American residents. In 1969, the Grenard-Watson School and Buford High School became fully integrated.
With the construction of North Gwinnett High School in the late 1950s, a campaign tried to consolidate Buford schools with Gwinnett County schools. The matter was voted on by the residents of Buford and was soundly defeated. The idea of consolidating Buford’s school system with Gwinnett came back around in the mid-1970s but was once again rejected. Buford would hold onto their independent school system.
In 1977, where the Community Center sits, a new high school was built, the old high school became the middle school, and new classrooms were added to the elementary school. Less than twenty years later, the need for new schools brought forth the construction of the old high school building (now the current middle school) in 1990 off of Sawnee Avenue, as well as a new elementary school. The Academy building and the current Senior Academy (which was the old middle school) were constructed off of Robert Bell Parkway. By 2013, the student population was approximately 3,700.
Over the past 40 years, Buford has become a school system that prides itself on excellence. The focus was expanded to cover not just academics but also encompassed excellence in sports and the arts as well. For a decade, Buford High School has ranked among the top 20 best high schools in the state according to US News Education. With the success of the school system in all areas, Buford has continued to see steady growth and once again the need for a new high school emerged.
After four long years, the new Buford High School located on Buford Highway is set to welcome the first students on August 7. It will open with just over 1,500 high school students but has been constructed to house up to 2,500 students. Hundreds of people gathered in the new school’s theater on July 28 to witness the official ribbon-cutting ceremony.
The Buford City School System has entered into a new era with its five schools serving close to 5,000 students. Under the guidance of Superintendent Dr. Robert Downs and his staff, new generations of Buford children will receive the very best education and support possible.
Buford’s rich tradition of excellence in education would not have been possible without visionary leaders over the years. From the very first city leaders to invest funds into the schools to the Allen family giving both land and money to modern-day city leaders, each has been instrumental to the success of Buford schools. City leaders funded the schools but one cannot have schools without teachers. Buford has been fortunate in having some of the very best educators come through their doors. Lastly, the support from the residents of this city has shaped Buford’s school system into the number one school system in the state of Georgia. The future looks bright.
