Atlanta Grade School Friends
Three Rs: Restore, Renovate, and Re-Imagine a Historic Icon
Mission
The mission of Atlanta Grade School Friends is to restore the historic Atlanta-Miller Grade School located on Miller Street in Atlanta, Texas. Atlanta-Miller Grade School is a unique Works Progress Administration (WPA)-era school dating from 1936. In addition to renovation of the building and the continued maintenance thereof, Atlanta Grade School Friends oversees the management of educational programs and related activities that enhance the building's usefulness. Once restored, the school will become a community center, hosting a wide variety of educational programs for people of all walks of life across the region and beyond.
Notes from the nonprofit
Atlanta Grade School Friends is on the threshold of a new era of community service. We are working to fully restore Atlanta-Miller Grade School in Atlanta, Texas, which was built in 1936, and to reimagine it as a community center for educational programming of all kinds. We are working with leading firm Architexas to restore the facility and to secure National Register status, and we are reaching out to a variety of partner organizations across the region to help us plan the building's future uses. We launched a monthly e-newsletter in 2022 and you can sign up to receive it via our website at atlantagradeschoolfriends.org. Questions? Email us: [email protected].
Ruling year
2003
President
Mrs. Jane Cook Barnhill
Main address
P.O. Box 851 (Physical Location: 106 1/2 W. Miller Street)
Atlanta, TX 75551 USA
EIN
46-0492043
NTEE code
Primary/Elementary Schools (B24)
IRS filing requirement
This organization is required to file an IRS Form 990 or 990-EZ.
Sign in or create an account to view Form(s) 990 for 2021, 2020 and 2019.
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Communication
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
Atlanta Grade School Friends is committed to preserving Atlanta-Miller Grade School in Atlanta, Texas. The beloved WPA-era school had fallen into disrepair and was going to be demolished, when a group of concerned former students and community advocates joined forces to purchase and stabilize the building. That work continues today, and part of our solution to ensure the highest quality restoration has been to hire leading firm Architexas to work with us side-by-side. We are also working to secure National Register status. With the 100th anniversary of the school in 2036, our school will become a community center for educational programs of all kinds. We also hope it will be a destination for heritage tourism. Questions? Email us: [email protected].
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Preservation
Atlanta-Miller Grade School is a WPA: Works Progress Administration-era project. It took 120 days to complete. Hardy Brothers of Texarkana constructed the one-story, six-room building of locally-made brick in 1936. Atlanta Independent School District used federal (PWA) funds and state bonds to fund construction. Edwin R. Smith of Paris, Texas in association with local architect Lee Warren designed the school.
- 1975 to 1990 the school became the Atlanta Multi-Purpose Center.
- 1990 to 2000 the school served as a storehouse, receiving no maintenance.
- 2001 to the present, former students and community advocates banded together to acquire and stabilize the building. Our nonprofit was formed.
- The school remained on the "most endangered" list of historic sites until 2023.
- Tours by appointment.
Where we work
Affiliations & memberships
Texas Historical Commission Marker 2006
External reviews
Photos
Videos
Our Sustainable Development Goals
Learn more about Sustainable Development Goals.
Goals & Strategy
Reports and documents
Download strategic planLearn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
Our goals were first and foremost to save the historic school building from demolition (done), then to stablize it (done). Now we are working to restore it professionally with the help of Architexas and to secure National Register status. Once complete, we intend to host a variety of educational and community activities in the school for people from all walks of life. We have conducted a survey and such a multi-purpose facility (installed with the latest technology) is greatly needed by the City of Atlanta, Cass County, by East Texas. In addition, the citizens of the region place a high value on the region's history, and we aim to bolster heritage tourism (and the economic impact that tourism provides), for the City of Atlanta, Texas.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
Our long-range plan outlines our goals and achievements, and you can download the current document from our profile. Atlanta Grade School Friends is all-volunteer and it hires experienced contractors as needed, from construction to architectural services to fundraising and communications. An intensive organizational infrastructure upgrade has been completed, and we are now conducting research and meeting with prospective partners with an eye to fully funding the restoration, and the school's conversion to a community center. An outstanding architectural firm has been hired, and budgeting is underway.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
Atlanta Grade School Friends has accomplished a great deal and is poised for success! While being all-volunteer, the nonprofit does hire seasoned professionals to support specific project needs. We are confident we will be successful attaining our goals of restoring the historic property and converting it into a community center for use by people from all walks of life across the region and beyond. Our work is being documented and should you have questions, email us: [email protected].
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
Our long-range plan outlines our progress to date, and we hope you will take a few minutes to review the document we have uploaded to GuideStar. We have three overall phases of work described, which we call the Three R's: Restore (2001 to 2021); Renovate (2022 to 2025); and Revitalize (2026 to 2036). We are in the midst of Phase II and well on our way!
How we listen
Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.
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How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
To inform the development of new programs/projects, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve, To understand people's needs and how we can help them achieve their goals
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Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?
We aim to collect feedback from as many people we serve as possible, We act on the feedback we receive, We tell the people who gave us feedback how we acted on their feedback
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What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?
We don't have any major challenges to collecting feedback
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
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- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
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- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
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Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
Atlanta Grade School Friends
Board of directorsas of 11/08/2023
Mrs. Jane Cook Barnhill
Civic Leader
Term: 2005 - 2023
Danny Stanley
Stanley PLLC, Treasurer
Cyndy Vaughan Chamblee
Secretary
Camille Smith Dawn
Director
Margaret Miller-Fitts
Director
Leigh Walker Stanley
Director
Kevin Stingley
Vice President
James Joslin
Director
Lee Ellen Arnold Benjamin
Director
Phil Rice
Director
Judy Waldon Lanier
Director
Donna Rice
Director
Gary Endsley
Director
Jerri Mason Steger
Director
Tammie Duncan
Director
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
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Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Not applicable -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? Not applicable
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as:
Race & ethnicity
Gender identity
Sexual orientation
No data
Disability
Equity strategies
Last updated: 02/26/2022GuideStar partnered with Equity in the Center - an organization that works to shift mindsets, practices, and systems to increase racial equity - to create this section. Learn more
- We employ non-traditional ways of gathering feedback on programs and trainings, which may include interviews, roundtables, and external reviews with/by community stakeholders.
- We use a vetting process to identify vendors and partners that share our commitment to race equity.
- We seek individuals from various race backgrounds for board and executive director/CEO positions within our organization.
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