Guilford County Schools is the third largest school district in North Carolina serving more than 70,000 students. The second largest employer in a 12-county area, Guilford County Schools’ more than 9,700 full- and part-time employees enthusiastically share the district’s mission, which is GCS = College/Work Ready.

Of the district’s 115 schools located in urban and rural areas, 65 are elementary, serving grades K through 5, and in some instances, even Pre-K through 5. To the relief of working parents, after-school care is offered at many elementary schools throughout the county.

The district also boasts 21 middle schools, 25 high schools, two special education schools (Gateway and McIver Special Education Centers), two SCALE sites, which provide an alternative to long-term suspensions and Saturn Academy, which offers high school students a flexible schedule to complete graduation requirements.

GCS offers parents and students a wide range of educational choices usually not found in public school systems. Among the districts many school choices include the following:

• Twenty magnet schools offering regular comprehensive curricula plus specialized themes or studies such as communications, cultural arts, math/science, foreign language, three year-round schools and two Montessori schools.
• High school options such as six Middle College High Schools, located on local college campuses, which offer students an alternative to the traditional high school setting and The Early College at Guilford, in which academically advanced high school students can earn approximately two years of college course credits while in high school. Both the district’s Middle College and Early College programs have received statewide recognition and are being replicated across North Carolina.
• Other high school options include the district’s Early College Academy programs, which offer students the opportunity to gain college credit while in their senior year of a traditional high school and a chance to qualify for a three-year scholarship upon graduation. Programs include specialized instruction in areas such as education, engineering, business and health sciences. The two new options include The Academy at Smith and the Academy at Central.
• Guilford County Schools has three International Baccalaureate (IB) programs, an award-winning tech prep program and Weaver Academy, an advanced academics, performing arts and vocational technical school.

The GCS transportation department operates approximately 690 school and contract buses. Almost 85,000 students are transported to/from and between schools each day. Annually, school buses travel a total of 8.8 million miles in their trips across Guilford County. 

The Child Nutrition Department serves over 14,500 breakfasts daily and more than 61,000 lunches daily.

The GCS school volunteer program matches responsible adults with students who need a little one-on-one attention and positive interaction. Volunteers serve as lunch buddies, tutors, mentors and friends, sharing with their young friends something more precious than can be measured in dollars and cents - their love and support. Volunteers in the 2005-06 school year made more than 120,500 visits to students and logged in more than 247,000 hours.

Business partnerships and volunteer programs are also becoming more popular each year. Over 1,700 businesses/community groups in Guilford County, Greensboro and High Point partner with Guilford County Schools. Employee volunteers share their time and knowledge with students through tutoring and mentoring programs. Area businesses, non-profit organizations, civic clubs and the general public contributed millions of dollars to our schools during 2005-06. Businesses also provide in-kind services such as apprenticeships and internships for students, part-time jobs, co-op programs or equipment and supplies.

PTA members also make up a powerful force in the GCS system. They conduct service projects, lead fund-raising efforts, serve as classroom volunteers and organize special events to benefit schools and students. During the 2005-06 school year, membership in the district’s PTAs were almost 30,000 strong.

We invite you to become involved with our schools. Together we can make a difference for the students in Guilford County!

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