Discovery High School

In August of 2015, Discovery High School opened its doors to students. This new high school pulled together students from several clusters as it offered relief to the Berkmar and Central Gwinnett clusters. The new school anchors the Discovery Cluster— which became the district’s 19th cluster. Other schools in the new Discovery Cluster include Richards Middle School and Alford, Baggett, Benefield, and Cedar Hill elementary schools.

The naming of this new high school was a much anticipated event. The Gwinnett County Board of Education unanimously approved the name “Discovery” on January 22, 2015. The name of the school was fitting as the school features unique programs including an entrepreneurship center, an academy model, and serves as the home for two Junior Achievement of Georgia programs for middle school students (JA BizTown and JA Finance Park).

The facility where the school is located has its own unique history and due to its large size provided the district with opportunities to provide innovative programs in a central area. The original building— which included more than 600,000 square feet— once was a distribution warehouse for Bridgestone. The Board of Education bought the facility and transformed this massive space into a state-of-the-art high school with 99 instructional areas and room to grow. In addition to traditional classrooms, the school also includes other learning areas such as seven computer labs, five business labs, three music rooms, two art rooms, etc., and an entrepreneurship center. The total construction cost of the transformation from warehouse to fully functioning high school was $70,279,864.

The interest and anticipation surrounding the opening of this new school was great. In fact, the school’s enrollment surpassed its forecast of 1,786, with the school serving approximately 2,150 students during its first year.

The Clyde L. Strickland Entrepreneurship Center, named for a local businessman and entrepreneur who supported the creation of the program, is a four-year Entrepreneurship program developed to prepare Gwinnett County high school students for a career as an entrepreneur during high school or at any point after the completion of their high school education. Through the program, students focus on business plan development and participate in a work-based learning program that gives them a chance to work for themselves both inside and outside of the school environment. Community partnerships drive the development of real-world ideas and businesses through active mentorship and project based learning.

The entrepreneurship center is a 16, 200 square foot area that overlooks the school’s commons. In addition to offering students a blended learning model that incorporates online learning, the program provides students with access to six maker spaces including Laser Burner, Dye Sublimation, Video and Audio Editing, Sign Making, Embroidery and Sewing, and 3-D Printing that will help students explore possibilities and options.

In addition to the entrepreneurship center, students at Discovery High School take part in an academy model that allows students to explore interests and better prepare for college and careers. The academies offered at Discovery include: Business and Entrepreneurship, Fine Arts and Communication, Health and Human Services, and STEM.