Principal Dr. Renee Kelly Campus type Urban Mascot Titans | Grades 6–12 Phone +1 706-823-6924 Colors Silver, Maroon | |
 | ||
Type Public magnet for the fine and performing arts Established 1934 (as elementary school)
1981 (as magnet school) School district Richmond County School System Address 615 12th St, Augusta, GA 30901, USA District Richmond County School System Similar A R Johnson Health Sc, Academy of Richmon, T W Josey High School, Westside High School, Butler High School | ||
John S. Davidson Fine Arts Magnet School is a public magnet school for the fine and performing arts located in downtown Augusta, Georgia, United States. It draws students in grades 6 through 12 throughout Richmond County. In addition to a basic curriculum of college preparatory and Advanced Placement academic courses, Davidson offers academic and fine arts courses in the areas of visual arts, music, chorus, dance, cinema production, and theatre. It has been recognized as a National Grammy Signature School, has been ranked as the #1 school in the state of Georgia, and has placed in the top 100 tier of Newsweek's "America's Best High Schools."
Contents
History
Davidson was founded in 1934 and named after John S. Davidson (1846-1894), an Augusta native, local educator, and Freemason leader. It was an elementary school from 1934 until 1981. In 1998, Davidson moved from its original site to a new campus one block away between 12th and 13th Street, Walton Way and Telfair Street. Prior to this, the campus had been split across the original building, a converted police substation, several portable classrooms, and a renovated iron works building, spreading across three city blocks. At the time, it crossed the Augusta Canal's second level. Moving to the new location granted a view of the canal's third level.
The new location has a theater for art performances. Due to student demand, the original stained glass windows created by the class of 1983 were also moved to the new location. The school is within walking distance of historical landmarks in Augusta, including Sacred Heart Cultural Center and the Augusta Canal's first level.
Davidson's mascot
The original mascot for Davidson Fine Arts was the "Flaming Rainbows," due to every grade having a specific color. When all the colors combined, they formed a rainbow symbolizing the unity, diversity, and creativity of Davidson. In 2006, after the success of their swimming team, the school administration created an official mascot for sporting competitions. In a school-wide vote, the mascot "Titans" was chosen. Each grade is still represented by a color:
Each grade has a sister class with a similar color, with the exception of 9th grade, whose sister class was the lavender 5th grade class.
Admissions
Admission to Davidson is based upon grades and an audition to determine interest and aptitude in the fine arts. Middle school students audition in all of the fine arts areas and high school students are auditioned in up to two fine arts areas. Classes are admitted to Davidson by racial quotas (45% African American, 45% Caucasian, and 10% other). Overall, there are on average about 700 students split equally among all classes.
Awards and recognition
During the 2004–05 school year and again in 2015, Davidson was recognized with the Blue Ribbon School Award of Excellence by the U.S. Department of Education, the highest award a U.S. school can receive.
The school has consistently been named as one of the best in the state of Georgia, and was named the number one academic school in the state each year from 1996 to 2009, a feat due almost exclusively to the high achievement of the students the school accepts.[1]
The school is also known for its music program; the Davidson Concert Chorale has been named among the best high school choral classes in the nation. In 2004, Grammy Foundation selected Davidson as the Grammy Signature School, and granted the program $25,000.
Awards and recognitions include: