George Walton Academy
North entrance to George Walton Academy
Address
One Bulldog Drive

Monroe
,
Georgia
30655

United States
Coordinates33°47′24″N 83°44′25″W / 33.789991°N 83.740324°W / 33.789991; -83.740324
Information
School typeSegregation Academy (former)
Private school
Established1969 (1969)
StatusPrivate school
NCES School ID00297281[1]
Head of schoolJohn Marshall [2]
Teaching staff87.0 (on an FTE basis)[3]
Age rangepreK–12th grade[3]
Enrollment762 (790 including preK)[3] (2015–16)
Student to teacher ratio8.8[3]
CampusRural
Campus size60 acres
Color(s)Red, black, and white
SportsParticipates in 22 GHSA sports
Team nameBulldogs
AccreditationSACS, SAIS, AdvancED
NewspaperBulldog Magazine[4]
YearbookResume
WebsiteGeorge Walton Academy

George Walton Academy (GWA) is a pre-Kindergarten through twelfth grade private school in Monroe, Georgia. It was established in 1969 as a segregation academy in response to school integration in the United States.[5]

History

George Walton Academy was founded in 1969 during school desegregation in Good Hope, Georgia.[6] It is now located in Monroe, Georgia and serves PK-12th grades with a student-teacher ratio of 10:1.[7] According to brigadier general, author, and GWA alumnus Ty Seidule, the school was founded for one purpose: "Ensure white kids didn't have to go to school with Black kids."[8] Initially, the school was located in Good Hope, Georgia, where the school took over the facilities of two public schools, the previously all-white Good Hope School and the previously all-black Good Hope-Peters School.[9] In 1975, the school moved from Good Hope to Monroe.

As of 1983, several black children had been accepted for admission, but none had enrolled.[6][10]

As of 1991, George Walton Academy was accredited by the Georgia Accrediting Commission, but not Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, which was considered the legitimate accrediting association for the state.[11]

In 2010, George Walton Academy withdrew from the Georgia Independent School Association, which consists largely of former segregation academies, and started to compete alongside public schools in the Georgia High School Association athletic league. They would later return to the GISA (in the sector of GIAA) and continue athletics there.[12]

In 2017, the school's global studies program was launched and includes educational study opportunities in Belize, France, the Galapagos Islands and Spain.[13] Students have the chance to conduct field work alongside medical students from Johns Hopkins University in Belize.[14]

In 2020, more than $4 million was pledged for the GWA "Go Beyond" campaign to expand and enhance the athletic and arts facilities on campus.[15] The school was also awarded a School Empowerment Grant by Walton EMC to expand the high school physics program and lower school STEM program.[16]

In 2021, George Walton's board decided to fire headmaster Dan Dolan after four years of service.[17] The board later replaced him with Gary Hobbs, the temporary head of school. In 2023, a new head of school, John Marshall, was instated [2]

Accreditation

The academy is accredited by the Georgia Accrediting Commission,[18] Southern Association of Independent Schools[19] and the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.[20] The academy is a member of the Georgia Independent School Association[21] and the Georgia High School Association.[22]

Fine arts

Visual and performing arts classes are offered during the school day as well as enrichment opportunities after school in the form of co-curricular activities and student clubs. Advanced Placement classes are available in both music and the visual arts. Offerings include marching band, symphonic winds, concert ensemble, percussion, theater, chorus, visual arts, dance, photography, sculpture studio, yearbook.[23]

Athletics

GWA was a member of the Georgia High School Association (GHSA), Region 8, Class A division.

In 2020 the school forfeited 6 football games because of rules violations involving paying players. The team was fined $1,000 per violation, and the coach was fired.[24][25] In November, 2021, GWA returned to the Georgia Independent Athletic Association (GIAA).

GWA's athletics programs won GISA championships in football (1979, 1991, 2003, and 2009)[26] boys basketball (1975 and 1984),[27] girls basketball (2023),[28] boys lacross (2023),[29] and girls lacross (2023).[30] Sports include baseball, basketball, cheerleading, cross country, football, golf, lacrosse, majorettes, softball, swimming, equestrian, soccer, tennis, track, volleyball, and wrestling.

Notable alumni

Demographics

As of the 2018 school year (the most recent reported to NCES), the students included 8 Asian, 34 Black, 8 Hispanic, 670 White, and 10 of two or more races.[3]

References

  1. ↑ "Search for Private Schools – School Detail for GEORGE WALTON ACADEMY". National Center for Education Statistics. Institute of Education Sciences. Retrieved August 12, 2021.
  2. 1 2 https://www.gwa.com/about/leadership.cfm
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 "George Walton Academy". Private School Universe Survey. National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved 30 August 2018.
  4. ↑ "Bulldog Magazine - George Walton Academy".
  5. ↑ Seidule, Ty (26 January 2021). Robert E. Lee and Me: A Southerner's Reckoning with the Myth of the Lost Cause. ISBN 978-1250239266.
  6. 1 2 Ezell, Hank (October 16, 1983). "A new era for academies". Atlanta Constitution. p. 1D.
  7. ↑ George Walton Academy US News
  8. 1 2 "A Southerner who abandoned the Lost Cause". The Washington Post. Retrieved 29 May 2021.
  9. ↑ Walton Tribune – Sept. 3, 1958; Sept. 9, 1959; April 13, 1966; May 29, 1968; July 3, 1968; Aug. 21, 1969; Nov. 14, 1974; July 6, 1976
  10. ↑ Ezell, Hank (October 16, 1983). "A new era for academies". Atlanta Constitution. p. 8D.
  11. ↑ "Federal Judge asked to settle dispute over class valedictorian". The Courier. June 7, 1991. p. C4.
  12. ↑ "High Schools". Atlanta Constitution. September 30, 2001. p. C8.
  13. ↑ "Making an (Ex)change". 14 October 2017.
  14. ↑ "The doctors are in". 2 February 2019.
  15. ↑ "GWA goes beyond campaign goal". 25 February 2020.
  16. ↑ "Walton EMC | Walton EMC". Archived from the original on 2021-08-11. Retrieved 2021-08-11.
  17. ↑ Tribune, David Clemons | The (28 May 2021). "George Walton Academy making a change at the top". WaltonTribune.com. Retrieved 2021-05-30.
  18. ↑ "SAIS". www.sais.org. Retrieved 2018-08-19.
  19. ↑ "Southern Association of Colleges and Schools | SACS CASI". www.sacs.org. Retrieved 2018-08-19.
  20. ↑ "Southern Association of Colleges and Schools | SACS CASI". www.sacs.org. Retrieved 2018-08-19.
  21. ↑ "List of Member Schools | Georgia Independent School Association". 30 April 2012.
  22. ↑ "Georgia High School Association | GHSA.net". www.ghsa.net. Retrieved 2018-08-19.
  23. ↑ "The Walton Tribune 11-11-2017" (PDF).
  24. ↑ Fowler, Brett (January 31, 2022). "Football: Davis resigns as GWA football coach". Walton Tribune. Retrieved 26 September 2022.
  25. ↑ Holcomb, Todd (February 22, 2021). "George Walton Academy forfeits 6 football games". Atlanta Journal and Constitution. Retrieved 30 May 2021.
  26. ↑ "List of Georgia high school football state champions - GHSFHA". ghsfha.org. Retrieved 2020-06-15.
  27. ↑ "Coach Ronald Bradley". Coach Ronald Bradley - Through the Years. June 2011. Retrieved June 15, 2020.
  28. ↑ https://www.waltontribune.com/sports/article_15b073e6-bcf7-11ed-bf7d-03f5d2fdb370.html
  29. ↑ https://www.waltontribune.com/sports/article_d3fa2120-ee6c-11ed-869e-179e9f06cdca.html
  30. ↑ https://www.waltontribune.com/sports/article_0ee6d90e-edaa-11ed-b3fc-c315773fa7b7.html
  31. ↑ Johnson, David (June 15, 2011). "Chandler has local ties". The Walton Tribune. Retrieved September 27, 2012.
  32. ↑ "INTERVIEW: Atlanta native John Clarence Stewart on playing Simon on "Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist'".
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