North Atlanta High School is a high school of approximately 1,800 students in the Paces neighborhood of Atlanta, Georgia, United States. The school is a part of Atlanta Public Schools.
The school was formed after North Fulton High School combined with Northside High School during the 1991â€"1992 school year. This merger resulted in North Atlanta High School being the only high school in Atlanta Public Schools (APS) to host two magnet programs: the International Studies Program and the Performance Arts. The Performance Arts program is now technically defunct, but North Atlanta continues to encourage students' artistic abilities and talents in performance.
History
North Fulton High School (1920â€"1991)
The Fulton County School Board formed North Fulton High School in September 1920. Population grew rapidly during the 1920s along the Peachtree Road corridor, which was considered the north of the city at that time, and the census tract of Buckhead increased from 2,603 in 1920 to 10,356 in 1930. North Fulton was the first and for a number of years the only high school serving the urban and predominantly affluent Peachtree Road corridor. APS took control of the school when the area was annexed into the city of Atlanta.
North Fulton High School started out as a segregated school under the state-mandated system that prevailed until the early 1960s. The school reached a racial balance under the majority-minority program. In the 1970s the school developed a more racially balanced faculty as well.
Through the years, North Fulton acquired a large international student body, and ranked at the top academically. In 1981, North Fulton became the site for the School of International Studies, a magnet program that became nationally recognized. Today this program continues at North Atlanta High School.
Northside High School (1950â€"1991)
Fulton County School Board opened Northside High School in 1950 at the current location of the Sutton Middle School: 7th-8th Grade Campus building. Northside High School became part of the APS when the property was annexed into the city of Atlanta. The school colors were purple and white, and the school nickname was the Tigers. In 1969, APS opened a planetarium at the Northside campus. Originally, it was one of three planetariums owned by Atlanta Public Schools (the other two being at Fulton and Harper High). It can seat 110 people. A magnet program in the performing arts was started in 1972.
North Atlanta High School (1991â€"2013)
In September 1991, by consolidating North Fulton High School and Northside High School, the Atlanta Board of Education formed North Atlanta High School. The students attended the North Fulton campus until June 1994, while the former Northside High School underwent a $15 million renovation. In 1998, North Atlanta was designated as a Georgia School of Excellence by the Georgia Department of Education. After the 2001â€"2002 school year, West Fulton High School and Harper-Archer High School closed. Since there wasn't adequate capacity at Douglass High School, the closest school, the students in the Scott and Boyd Elementary school districts were rezoned to North Atlanta. This area encompassed both Hollywood Courts and the former Perry Homes. Starting in 2004, Newsweek rated North Atlanta as being one of the best high schools in the country for three consecutive years. In the spring of 2008, the Aga Khan visited and gave a speech at North Atlanta as a part of the annual IB conference.
North Atlanta High School
As of the 2008â€"2009 school year, the incoming 9th grade class was zoned to Douglass High School. In 2008, North Atlanta began its partnership with the Juilliard School. Juilliard began its inaugural Summer Jazz program in June 2008, and planned to continue the camp in future years. In the summer of 2009, APS started its $40 million renovation on the building. Phase 1 included the expansion and modernization of the instructional classrooms, while Phase 2 included the grounds and rooms such as the theatre and the cafeteria.
Recent developments
Phase two of the SPLOST 3 renovation, in the summer of 2010, included renovations and modernization of all non-instructional facilities such as the media center and athletic areas.
The 2010â€"2011 school year saw the third wave of Atlanta Public Schools' High School Transformation Initiative. The new changes included extending the IB Diploma Programme to each SLC, eliminating the status of a magnet program from the International Studies SLC, and other initiatives aimed at increasing student achievement. A fourth SLC was tentative for the transformation.
In order to alleviate overcrowding at Sutton Middle School, around 2009 APS issued a proposal to create state-of-the-art facilities for NAHS elsewhere in Buckhead, and to use the then-current NAHS facilities on Northside Drive at Kingswood Lane as a new middle school. However, instead of creating a new middle school, it was decided that Sutton Middle School would be separated into two campuses. Its new 7th and 8th Grade Campus was established at this location (apparently by the 2013â€"2014 school year), and its 6th Grade Campus remains at the school's original location on Powers Ferry Road at Jett Road, 3.5 miles north of the Northside Drive campus.
Campus
APS purchased a former IBM office building on Northside Parkway in the Cumberland district of Atlanta, along with its 56 acres (23 ha) wooded campus. The 11-story building, which previously housed 5000 IBM employees in its 507,093 square feet (47,110.5 m2), was converted to new facilities for NAHS's 2400 students. The campus straddles a retention pond. The parking deck is used for parking, while the more distant parking lots have become a track and field. Another building, deemed unsuitable for the school, was imploded on October 27, 2012, to be rebuilt as a theater and gymnasium, among other purposes. The construction was performed by J.E. Dunn. The new school was ready for the 2013â€"2014 school year. The cost of the school building altogether was $147 million; APS received some criticism for the cost, which was relatively high in the U.S. South.
Student activities
The North Fulton Quiz Bowl team won the 1990 AA state title in the tournament sanctioned by the Georgia Academic Team Association, and Northside won the 1991 AAA title. In 1998, the North Atlanta Quiz Bowl team won the state championship before going on to finish with a No. 16 national ranking at the Tournament of Champions in Chicago, Illinois. The team also earned a berth in the 2000 Tournament of Champions.
Athletics
State championships
- Northside
- Football: 1957 (AAA)
- Boys' track: 1956 (AA); 1979 (7AAAA) mile relay State Champions
- North Fulton
- Girls' swimming: 1957, 1958, 1959
- Football: 1966 (AA)
- Boys' cross country: 1953â€"54, 1955, 1956, 1966 (Div. II), 1971 (AA), 1972 (AA), 1973 (AA), 1974 (AA), 1975 (AA), 1979 (AA)
- Boys' basketball: 1953 (AA)
- Boys' track: 1954 (AA tie w/ Griffin), 1967 (AA), 1974 (AA)
- North Atlanta
- Girls' basketball: 2000 (AAA)
- Football: 2013 (AAA)
Feeder schools
- Elementary schools: Bolton Academy, Brandon Elementary, Garden Hills Elementary, Jackson Elementary, Smith Elementary, and E. Rivers Elementary
- Middle school: Sutton Middle
Notable alumni
- Toni Baldwin - singer
- David Cross (Northside High School) - actor best known for his role in Arrested Development and the sketch comedy show Mr. Show
- James Dickey (North Fulton High School) - author of Deliverance
- Sam Graddy (Northside High School) - gold medal winner in the 4 × 100 m relay at the 1984 Summer Olympics; former NFL player for the Denver Broncos and the Los Angeles Raiders
- Jasmine Guy (Northside High School) - actress best known for her role as Whitley Gilbert in A Different World
- Matt Hullum - director, best known for Lazer Team and Red Vs Blue
- Erika Jayne (Northside High School) - The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills; singer; actress
- Billy Milner (Northside High School) - 1995 NFL first round draft pick of the Miami Dolphins
- Ed Nutting (Northside High School) - former NFL player for the Dallas Cowboys
- E. Earl Patton (North Fulton High School) - Atlanta businessman and politician
- Travis Payne (Northside High School) - choreographer
- RuPaul (Northside High School) - drag queen, musician, and actor, real name Andre Charles
- Van Earl Wright (North Fulton High School) American Sportscaster
- Bobby V - R&B singer; also known as Bobby Valentino
References
External links
- North Atlanta High School
- North Atlanta Northerner newspaper online
