Newest School Named for Former First Lady Michelle Obama
Eddie While Elementary becomes Michelle Obama STEM Elementary Academy
JONESBORO - Clayton County Public Schools (CCPS) is proud to formally announce the name
change of one of its elementary schools. The school, formerly known as Eddie White Elementary
School, has been renamed the Michelle Obama STEM Elementary Academy.
This action comes after a series of steps that began with a request from the district’s staff back in May
2020 that the Clayton County Board of Education initiate the process to name the new STEM (Science,
Engineering, Mathematics and Technology) elementary school facility under construction in the
panhandle or southern end of the county. Once built, the facility will become the new home for
elementary students presently housed on the Eddie White campus.
The process, which included a stakeholder survey, arrived at two potential names. The Board, during its
October 5, 2020 meeting, chose to name the school after former First Lady Michelle Obama. In
compliance with Board Policy FDC, the district had to submit a request to Mrs. Obama seeking
permission to use her name for the school. In mid-October, permission was received and on December
3, 2020, the district was informed that the Eddie White Elementary name had changed to Michelle
Obama STEM Elementary Academy within the Georgia Department of Education (GaDOE) facility
school registry.
“We are so excited that the former First lady accepted our request to have her name associated with our
school,” said Ms. Marcia Payton-Edwards. “We noted in our request that it was fitting that our school be
represented by the name Michelle Obama due to the ancestral connection of her great, great, great
grandmother, Melvinia Shields McGruder, who was enslaved on a family farm in the Clayton County
community of Rex.”
“This prestigious name sets high expectations for our students as we enter a new era of education with
innovative pedagogy infused with technology driven practices,” she added. “Mrs. Obama is a global
icon, who has led initiatives such as Let’s Move, Reach Higher, and Let Girls Learn. Her influence will
inspire our children to think beyond Hampton, Georgia, and to know that they can make a difference
globally.”
“This new campus will truly be worthy of embracing the name of Michelle Obama as it will be a state of
the art and one-of-a-kind STEM academy, built to serve students in pre-kindergarten through fifth
grade,” said Dr. Morcease J. Beasley, CCPS Superintendent/CEO. “Focusing on engineering,
agriculture, and environmental science, this school will provide unique and innovative learning and
teaching opportunities to inspire those who attend as students and those who work there as staff.”
About Michelle Obama STEM Elementary Academy
The school, based on the Eddie White campus in Hampton, currently serves approximately 700 students
and supports over 70 staff members. During the 2019-20 school year, staff began working towards
STEM certification to be recognized by the state of Georgia. The new facility, scheduled to welcome
students in August 2021 and located about a mile from the existing campus, will provide space for 75
standard classrooms, two technology labs, six STEM labs, one engineering lab and outdoor classrooms
with solar panels. The property has a wetland conservation area with an indoor/outdoor classroom space
to provide a hands-on environmental learning lab.