Trip Elementary History

Trip Elementary opened its doors to the Grayson community in its inaugural year in 2008. The name Trip Elementary emanates from the rich and storied past of the Grayson community.  In 1879, Rev. James Patterson McConnell established a township in southeast Gwinnett County that came to be known as Grayson.  At that time, Rev. McConnell and his wife Susan, purchased land in an area known then as the Bay Creek District, located at what is now the intersection of Highway 20/Loganville Highway and Grayson Parkway.  A store built on the land became home to a post office with Rev. McConnell serving as the community’s first postmaster.  A local merchant suggested the name “Trip” for the post office because it was a “trip” from the county seat of Lawrenceville to the new post office.  For years, the community was called Trip as well, until formally incorporating as a town in 1901 and eventually taking on the name of Grayson. 

As the Trip community grew, so did the need for formal education for the children of the area.  In 1881, Trip Academy, a small log cabin, was constructed and served as the community’s first recorded school.  The opening of Trip Academy in 1881 marked the beginning of a long history of dedication to quality education in Grayson.  Trip Elementary is still dedicated to setting high standards, providing our students with quality, engaging instruction, and increasing student achievement.

As reflected in our motto, “Where Learning Is a Lifelong Journey,” we strive to provide our students with an educational experience that is positive, structured, rigorous, and world-class.  We continually seek opportunities that will challenge their thinking, inspire their learning and prepare them with the knowledge and skills necessary for college, career, and life readiness.  Ultimately, we want our students to be powerful, productive members of our society that dream big and have a strong educational foundation.