Woodward Academy in College Park, Georgia, is a coeducational college preparatory school enrolling 2780 day students in Pre-Kindergarten through Grade 12. Woodward Academy is comprised of five divisions. The Primary School (Kindergarten-Grade 3), Lower School (Grades 4-6), Middle School (Grades 7-8), and Upper School (Grades 9-12) are located on the main campus in College Park, a suburban community 7 miles south of downtown Atlanta, and convenient to the Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport. Woodward North (Pre-Kindergarten-Grade 6) is located in North Fulton County along the Chattahoochee River.

Founded in 1900 as Georgia Military Academy by Col. John C. Woodward, the school was originally a secondary military academy for boys; an elementary division was subsequently added. In 1964, the Academy became coeducational, and in 1966, the Academy’s charter was amended to discontinue the military program and to rename the school in honor of its founder. Colonel Woodward was succeeded by his son-in-law, Col. William R. Brewster, Sr.; Capt. William R. Brewster, Jr., served as President from 1961 until December 1978. Dr. Gary M. Jones was installed as Woodward’s fourth President in January 1979 and retired in July of 1990. Mr. A. Thomas Jackson served as the fifth President of the Academy from 1990 to 1999. Dr. Harry C. Payne was named the sixth Academy President in 2000 and was succeeded in 2009 by Dr. Stuart Gulley.

The Academy is incorporated as a nonprofit institution under a self-perpetuating Governing Board comprised of alumni and patrons of the school. Woodward Academy’s productive endowments are valued at more than $100,000,000. Woodward is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools; it holds membership in the National Association of Independent Schools, the Southern Association of Independent Schools, the Georgia Independent Schools Association, and the Atlanta Area Association of Independent Schools. The 7000 living graduates are served by an Alumni Association.

THE CAMPUS. The 80-acre College Park campus contains more than 50 buildings, practice fields, a football stadium, and a nine-court tennis center. Carlos Hall contains the administrative and business offices. West Hall contains Upper School offices and the infirmary, with Upper School classrooms located in the adjacent Brewster Hall. A new 45,000-square-foot Math/Science Building, completed in 2008, features new laboratories, a planetarium, an electron microscope, and an auditorium. The Colquitt Student Center houses a snack bar, student lockers, and a recreation area. The George C. Carlos Library houses 25,000 volumes and includes an Academy archive, conference rooms, reading areas, and study carrels for both Middle and Upper School students. The 92,000-square-foot Richardson Fine Arts Center contains classrooms, offices, studios, a gallery, a 400-seat auditorium, and a closed-circuit television station. The Alumni Center houses the alumni and development offices. A $32,000,000 athletic complex, comprised of new gymnasiums, a fitness center, and physical education offices, is currently under construction. Adjacent to the new athletic complex is the Kennedy Natatorium, housing an eight-lane pool. More than 5000 spectators can be seated in the lighted Colquitt Stadium. Upper School meals are served in Robert W. Woodruff Hall. The 600-seat Richard C. Gresham Chapel also contains a multipurpose conference room. Middle School offices, classrooms, laboratories, dining and art spaces, and study areas are located in Jordan Carlos Middle School Complex, constructed in 2003. Lower School offices, classrooms, a 15,000-volume library, computer lab, gymnasium, and cafetorium are located in Thomas Hall.

The new Primary School Building was completed in 2007. The $9,000,000 Primary School campus features a central complex containing administrative offices, classrooms, a library, and a cafetorium. The grounds also include an athletic field. The 36-acre Woodward North campus includes a facility containing administrative offices, a cafetorium, a library, adjacent athletic fields, nature trails, and a performing and visual arts center.

THE FACULTY. Dr. Stuart Gulley, President, is a graduate of Vanderbilt University (B.A.), Emory University (M.Div.), and Georgia State University (Ph.D.).

The faculty include 350 full-time instructors and 110 academic support staff. Faculty and staff hold more than 225 master’s or higher educational degrees, including 6 doctorates. Two or more degrees were earned at Agnes Scott, Auburn, Brenau, Cleveland State, Emory, Georgia Institute of Technology, Georgia Southern, Georgia State, Jacksonville State, LaGrange, Louisiana State, Mercer, Miami of Ohio, Michigan State, Milligan, Millsaps, Note Dame College, Oglethorpe, Ohio State, Peabody, Purdue, Shorter, Wake Forest, West Chester State, West Georgia, West Virginia, William and Mary, and the Universities of Alabama, Arkansas, Central Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, North Alabama, North Carolina, South Carolina, South Florida, and Tennessee.

The Academy provides a salary schedule, supplements for extracurricular activities, merit pay, comprehensive major medical insurance, and a retirement program.

STUDENT BODY. Woodward Academy enrolls 2780 students, of whom 51 percent are boys and 49 percent girls. Students come from communities throughout the metropolitan Atlanta area.

ACADEMIC PROGRAM. The academic year, from mid-August to late May, is divided into two semesters and includes Thanksgiving, Winter Break, and Spring vacations. Classes begin at 8:30 a.m. and end at 3:05 p.m., depending on individual schedules

A college preparatory curriculum is offered to all Upper School students; available electives include computer programming, television production, science fiction, astronomy, oceanography, satire, Shakespeare, and dance. Honors courses and Advanced Placement courses include English, European history, American history, mathematics, computer science, biology, chemistry, physics, French, Japanese, Spanish, music, and art. Report cards are provided to parents at six-week intervals, and interim reports are sent to parents in cases of deficient or unsatisfactory work.

Middle School students are required to take Computer Science, Foreign Language, and Life Skills in addition to English, reading, mathematics, science, social studies, fine arts, and physical education. Honors and regular sections are offered in most departments; tutorials and study halls are available.

The Lower Schools offer a competitive program of instruction. The upper elementary grades are departmentalized, and reading and mathematics receive primary emphasis along with computer science, social studies, science, art, music, drama, and physical education. The main campus Lower School and Woodward North offer a Student Transition Education Program for above-average students with slight learning differences. Tutorials, interim reports, and parent-teacher conferences chart a student’s progress.

The 270 members of the Class of 2009 attend such institutions as Agnes Scott, Appalachian State, Auburn, Boston University, Clemson, Cornell, Dartmouth, Duke, Florida State, Georgia Institute of Technology, Georgia Southern, Harvard, Louisiana State, Mercer, Miami (Ohio), Southern Methodist, Stanford, U.S. Air Force Academy, U.S. Military Academy, U.S. Naval Academy, Vanderbilt, Wellesley, Williams, and the Universities of Alabama, Colorado, Michigan, Mississippi, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and Virginia.

STUDENT ACTIVITIES. The Academy offers a wide variety of activities to students. Lower School activities include Cub Scouts, chorus, band, patrols, intramural sports, cultural programs, and educational trips. Middle School activities include a Student Government, class activities, a Camera Club, an Art Club, and Honor Council. Dances are held periodically. Upper School activities include Student Government, Honor Council, the National Honor Society, French and Spanish honor societies, debate, newspaper, yearbook, Camera Club, cheerleaders, flag corps, Art Club, choruses, Drama Club, band, a dance ensemble, ten service clubs, and the WATV crew. Upper School students are required to fulfill a 20-hour community service contract during the year. All Upper School students are involved in small group sessions through the Peer Leadership and Teacher Advisory programs. These programs assist students in dealing with peer pressure, academic stress, and other pertinent issues.

Interscholastic and intramural sports include football, baseball, basketball, soccer, swimming and diving, tennis, track, wrestling, cross-country, volleyball, fast-pitch softball, lacrosse, ultimate frisbee, and golf. Social activities include formal and informal dances and weekend outings.

Frequent assemblies provide a forum for various speakers and school groups.

ADMISSION AND COSTS. It is Woodward Academy’s policy to admit students from a variety of racial, ethnic, and economic backgrounds who desire to attend the Academy and who provide evidence of good character, conduct, and academic achievement. New students are accepted at all grade levels except Grade 12. An entrance examination, an interview, school records, teacher/principal evaluations, and evidence of extracurricular interests are required, especially for older students.

In 2009–10, tuition is $12,300 for Pre-Kindergarten, $16,985 for Kindergarten–Grade 6, and $19,950 for Grades 7-12. Additional charges for all students include textbooks ($300–$500) and uniforms (approximately $700). Additional fees may be levied for private lessons, private tutoring, developmental reading, the yearbook, and the diploma. An additional $8600 is required for students in the Transition Program to provide the small classes and individual tutoring such children require. More than $2,000,000 in financial aid is awarded annually to approximately 12 percent of the students in the Middle and Upper Schools.

President: Dr. Stuart Gulley .

Dean of Faculty: Mr. David R. McCollum .

Dean of Students: Mrs. Elaine T. Carroll .

Dean of Admission: Mr. Russell L. Slider .

Director of Development: Mr. Robert F. Hawks .

College Counselor: Mrs. Missy Sanchez .

Business Manager: Ms. Barbara Egan .

Director of Athletics: Mr. David H. Chandler .