Add an Article Add an Event Edit

Gray's Creek Middle School

2964 School Road
910-483-4124

Mission

The staff, students, and community working together as a team, will create a safe learning environment of the highest quality.Each learner will be encouraged and empowered to do his absolute best while striving for self-discipline, motivation, and academic excellence in a global society.

Motto


"Connecting with integrity through respect and commitment"

History

Gray's Creek Middle School is located approximately 15 miles south of Fayetteville, N.C. in the rural township of Gray's Creek. The community, according to legend, got its name from a tragedy that occurred on the banks of its creek. Two men dueled on the banks of a stream down by the Cape Fear Baptist Church. One of the men named Gray was killed and buried beside the creek. The creek became known as Gray's Creek, as did the township and eventually the school.

The community grew from scattered homes on the banks of the Cape Fear River and the "one-room school buildings" built by the people of the community needed to be upgraded. In 1920, town leaders met to decide if it was feasible to consolidate the smaller schools into one larger school.

In 1921, a bill was passed by the General Assembly to make Gray's Creek Consolidated School in the Gray's Creek Township, Cumberland County, a reality. It was the first consolidated school in North Carolina to serve an entire township. The first session in the new building was the 1922-23 school year. There were only eight graduates the first year and three of them became teachers.

Through the years the school grew and in 1944 the PTA opened a lunchroom under the Federal Feeding Program. Gray's Creek was also the second high school in the county to have a school newspaper.

In 1957, however, a fire of unknown origin destroyed the main classroom building. By 1958 a new building for the high school was under construction. The new school was completed in 1959 with eight classrooms, a lunchroom, a library, an auditorium, teachers' lounge, offices, and equipment room. Accreditation became an important endeavor and athletics during the middle 60's were very successful.

In 1973, Gray's Creek high school students consolidated with Hope Mills and a portion of Massey Hill to form South View which was newly built. Gray's Creek remained an elementary school until 2000 when a new elementary building was opened.

Starting the 2001-2002 school year, after some renovation and additions, the school opened its doors as Gray's Creek Middle School serving about 450 sixth through eighth graders.

Photos