Corley Elementary School

Corley Elementary School, located on Pleasant Hill Road in Lawrenceville, opened in 2003. The name of the school honors the Corley family-- a family with a long, rich history in the area. The Corley family homesteaded this parcel of land in the 1830s. The first official record available of the family is the 1850 census. At that time, there were 10 family members listed. The head of the family was Curtis Corley, age 71.

Over the years, the Corley family has included teachers and public servants. Alvin and Mior Corley were both county commissioners. Marlon Corley was mayor of Duluth as well as a city councilman. M.D. Corley was an early magistrate. In addition to honoring the many Corley family members, the name of the school recognizes the Corley family store that once stood on the land now occupied by the school.

Corley Elementary School salutes the legacy of the Corley family and the significant and lasting contributions the family has made to our community.

The school opened in 2003 with 37 classrooms and a capacity of 770 students. At that time, the school’s colors were blue and white and the school mascot was the Cougars. As the area continued to grow additional classrooms were needed and a 19-classroom addition opened in 2007. Today, the school serves approximately 1,300 students. The school is a part of the Berkmar Cluster and as such changed its colors and mascot to the red, white, and blue Patriot associated with the cluster. Taking pride in its cluster, the staff of Corley Elementary encourage students to “Start as a Patriot” and “Finish as a Patriot”.

That Patriot Pride has resulted in a number of recognitions for the school. Corley Elementary earned recognition as a 2015-16 Georgia Department of Education Reward School in the “Highest Progress” category. This award honors high- performing schools among the top 10% of Title I schools in Georgia making the most progress in improving student achievement for the “all students” group over three years on state assessments. In addition, Corley was recognized on the 2016 Governor’s SHAPE Silver Honor Roll. The award acknowledges school level efforts in the areas of physical activity, nutrition, and wellness. The school also is recognized By Gwinnett Clearn & Beautiful as a Reaching Higher Green & Healthy School.

In addition to a number of extracurricular offerings, including Girls on the Run, Chorus Club, Guitar Club, Art Club, Witzzle Pro Math Club, and Science Club, students also can explore STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and mathematics) through organized school programs.

The school fosters relationships with parents and the community in a number of ways. Its Parent Center supports parents with instructional resources to promote academic success for their children and holds parent involvement nights that covers topics like Reading, Writing, Mathematics, and Science. In addition, students, staff, and community join together to support community service projects, including United Way, Relay For Life, and Jump Rope for Heart.