APS votes to change names of Grady High, Brown Middle schools
Grady High School in Atlanta
ATLANTA - After months of deliberating on a new name for Grady High School, Atlanta Public Schools has voted to change the name to Midtown High School.
The vote came around 5:30 p.m. Monday after a week-long delay.
The "Midtown" option was the clear frontrunner for students, with more than 61% of the votes. Other names floated included Piedmont High and Ida B. Wells, after the well-known African American journalist.
The school was named for Henry W. Grady, the 19th-century Atlanta newspaper editor who advocated for a “New South” after the Civil War but also campaigned against equality for freed slaves.
The board also voted to change the name of Joseph E. Brown Middle School to Herman J. Russell West Academy.
Both name changes were unanimously passed by the board.
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