The History of Cary Woods School
Cary Woods School was founded during the late 1950's. It began as a Lee county school and became a part of the Auburn City school system in 1962. The first principal of Cary Woods was Mr. Francis Marshall who served as principal for all the elementary schools in the system. Cary Woods began with six teachers- one for each grade 1-6.
In 1966, Cary Woods was changed to grades 1-4, with grades 5 and 6 housed elsewhere in the system. By 1968, the fourth grade was moved to Boykin Middle School, and Cary became a primary school with grades 1-3.
In December, 1973, a pilot kindergarten program, the first in the state, was begun at Cary, housing one kindergarten unit. This program continued as a pilot program until 1976, at which time the program was fully incorporated and expanded to include two units in each primary school. In 1980, this program was expanded to four kindergarten units.
The first addition to Cary Woods was completed in 1975. This addition included eight classrooms, two of which were designed for special education observation, a media center, two teacher workrooms with storage, an office and a full completed basement.
In 1980, a second addition was made in which the basement from the first addition was completed. Included in this addition were four classrooms, two special education classrooms, a testing room, a PE room and a cafeteria.
In 1986, a computer lab and a music room were added upstairs. Downstairs a special education classroom and a classroom suitable for a science lab were added.
In 1989, a fourth addition was completed which included construction of a new office with a sick room, a conference room, an assistant principal's office, and four new classrooms.
The Auburn Early Education Center, which houses all kindergarten units throughout Auburn City Schools, was completed in 1992.
In 1998, the fifth grade was moved back to the elementary schools as a result of reorganization and the building of Yarborough Elementary School and Ogletree Elementary School.
In 2006, the former cafeteria area was divided into two classrooms. In 2007, a multipurpose building was added where the tennis courts used to be next to the school. It houses two offices for P.E. and After-School, an art classroom, an enrichment classroom, a cafeteria and storage, as well as a large open area used for indoor p.e. and special school/community events.
Cary Woods now houses 6 first grades, 5 second grades, 5 third grades, 4 fourth grades, 4 fifth grades, and 3 multi-handicapped classes that serve children with a variety of special needs.
The staff consists of twenty six teachers, one principal, one assistant principal, one counselor, one media specialist, one music teacher, one enrichment teacher, one art teacher, one computer teacher, one media aide, six special education teachers with full-time aides, one Title I teacher with an aide, one Reading Coach, one physical education teacher with one aide, one Intervention aide, one secretary, and one clerical aide.