Our History

Sumner Elementary is a National School of Character located in the Piedmont Triad of North Carolina, a metropolitan area of about one million people, which includes Greensboro, a city of 230,000, High Point, and Winston Salem. Greensboro has a diverse economic base of manufacturing, business, insurance, banking, service industries, and education. Two state universities and three private colleges are in Greensboro. Sumner Elementary serves the southern sector of Greensboro/Guilford County. Sumner Elementary students are from diverse economic, religious, racial, and national backgrounds. 

In preparation for evaluation by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Inc. members of Sumner Elementary School faculty spent many hard hours of labor conducting an exhaustive study and compiling the information in a report titled, “A Report of Growth and Progress: Southern Association Evaluation 1964-65. 

In the heart of a rural farming community in 1924, five two-teacher schools were consolidated to establish Sumner School. There were eight elementary teachers for grades one through seven. Marvin H. Shore, Principal and one other faculty member made up the high school staff. 

The first-year enrollment for the elementary school was 356. The high school enrollment was 49 pupils. In succeeding years, the tenth and eleventh grades were added. In 1927 the high school students moved to a new building, thus making room for the very over-crowded elementary classrooms. A group of nine students embodied the first graduating class on May 12, 1927. 

We are a PBIS school. We focus on positive behaviors. Seahawks SOAR: 

Show a positive attitude. 

Own it and take responsibility. 

Always do your best and strive to do what’s right. 

Respect yourself and others. 

Our mascot is the Seahawk, and our school colors are cerulean blue and white.