History

The story of Lanier High School is inextricably tied to the decades-old history of the original schools that served the uppermost regions of Gwinnett County. In 1958, North Gwinnett High School opened, combining the students from two long-standing schools— the Suwanee School (established circa 1890s) and the Sugar Hill High School (established 1915). The Suwanee and Sugar Hill schools continued to serve students in grades one through seven.

North Gwinnett High School grew beyond anyone’s imagination during the boom years of the 1990s. Rapid growth in the northern areas of the county resulted in the creation of three new clusters that each claimed students from North Gwinnett High. The clusters are Collins Hill, Peachtree Ridge, and Mill Creek clusters. The opening of Lanier High marked the fourth split of North Gwinnett High School, and brought the community of Sugar Hill full circle to having a high school located within its boundaries once again.

The long history of educational achievement on this site began with the opening of Lanier Middle School in 1973. The middle school resided on this site until it relocated to its new facility in August of 2008. Lanier High inherited its name from Lanier Middle which was named after poet Sydney Lanier, a Georgia native and namesake of Lake Lanier, a nearby landmark and northern boundary of the Lanier Cluster.

Facilities and Academies

Lanier High School sits on a 66-acre tract that has been pieced together over the years from local land owners. The hometown spirit established in the cluster’s elementary and middle schools has laid the foundation for the family spirit that is genuinely embraced at Lanier High, where the focus is on providing personalized instruction to empower all students to Learn, Lead, and Succeed.

Just as the world is changing... so are high schools! Gwinnett County Public Schools is committed to providing students with more of the advanced skills they need to be successful, productive citizens in college, career, and life. An example of that commitment is the creation of Academies at seven Gwinnett high schools— including Lanier High School. The primary goal of the College and Career academies is to provide relevant, real-world experiences and opportunities for students to apply their learning outside the confines of the classroom. At Lanier High, the offering of Academy programs was a natural transition as the school already offered students opportunities through its Center for Design and Technology (CDAT) program. In addition to the CDAT Program, Lanier High students can participate in the 9th Grade Academy, Global Business Leadership and Fine Arts Academy, and the Life and Health Sciences Academy. These programs, along with the extensive Advanced Placement offerings, help to ensure that Lanier students are college and career ready.

Accomplishments

Lanier High School has earned a number of accolades including:

• Seniors in the Class of 2019 were offered nearly $10 million in college scholarships, not including the HOPE Scholarship. Two students were selected for full-tuition scholarships as Posse Scholars and one student received an appointment to the U.S. Naval Academy.
• Lanier was acknowledged by the Georgia Department of Education as a 2019 Advanced Placement (AP) Honor School in five of six categories— AP Access and Support, AP STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics), AP Merit, AP STEM Achievement, AP Humanities. The 2019 AP Honor Schools are named based on results from 2017–18 AP classes and exams.
• Lanier was ranked among the best high schools in Georgia and in the U.S. in U.S. News and World Report.
• More than 3,000 attended the clusterwide Sugar Hill MakerFest and more than 1,000 attended the clusterwide Arts Festival.
• Two students won the Gwinnett Science, Engineering + Innovation Fair, qualifying to compete in Intel International Science Fair competition in Philadelphia.
• A Lanier student won a Student EMMY at the The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Student Production Awards, and work by a Lanier student was nominated for a Southeast EMMY Award. Lanier HS film students also were recognized in the All-American High School Film Festival and their films debuted at the AMC Theater in Times Square in New York City.
• Lanier had the following results in athletics: Girls Basketball, 2019 State Champions; Football, Semifinals; Boys Tennis, Region Champions; Girls Tennis, Region Champions; Wrestling (Duals) Region Champions; Competition Cheer, Region Champions; and Boys Track and Field, Region Champions.
• Teams and individuals qualified for state competition in the following sports: Boys Track and Field, Girls Track and Field Wrestling Duals and Traditional, Boys Basketball, Football, Boys Golf, Girls Golf, Girls Soccer, Softball, Boys Swim and Dive, Girls Swim and Dive, Boys Tennis, Girls Tennis, and Volleyball.
• Our Mock Trial team was the 2019 state champion.
• The Lanier HS Band won 1st place at Georgia Contest of Champions band competition.
• Lanier HS led a clusterwide Student Leadership Conference.
• Students served on the City of Sugar Hill Youth Council.
• Lanier was recognized as a Reaching Higher Green & Healthy School in the Environmental Achievement Awards sponsored by Gwinnett Clean & Beautiful.

Fast Facts

Address: 918 Buford Hwy Sugar Hill, GA 30518

The following have served as principals of Lanier High School:

2010-Feb. 2014              Kerensa Wing

Feb. 2014-Oct. 2017         Dr. Reuben J. Gresham

Oct. 2017-Present            Dr. Christopher Martin

School Colors: Burnt Orange, Black, and White

School Mascot: Longhorns