An historical marker at the school provides the following information:
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This school opened in 1921, racially integrated in 1966 and served students from Plains, Georgia until 1979. The school's rich history of distinguished educators and progressive curriculum earned recognition at state and national levels. Graduates from this school have made tremendous contributions to Georgia, as well as the world. Notable graduates include President Jimmy Carter and his wife, Rosalynn Smith Carter.
As a result of the consolidation of county schools, Plains High School closed in 1979. Through a partnership between the community of Plains and the National Park Service, the school was restored and reopened in 1996 as the main Visitors Center for the Jimmy Carter National Historic Site. In 1996 the Georgia Department of Education, Sumter County Schools, and the National Park Service initiated an educational program for students visiting
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the site. The Georgia State Board of Education approved a resolution on January 15, 1997, which noted the importance of this educational facility from 1921 - 1979 and recognized the significant impact of the collaborative educational venture.
The 1997 Georgia General Assembly passed a bill which named Plains High School the State School of Georgia. The legislation recognized educators Julia Coleman and Y.T. Sheffield for their outstanding leadership at the school. It also noted that President Carter and First Lady Rosalynn Smith Carter were graduates of Plains High School and that President Carter served on the Sumter County School board as his first political office.
Governor Zell Miller signed the bill into law on April 22, 1997. At this time, Plains High School was officially designated the State School of Georgia.
From the Jimmy Carter NHS Education Program website:
For years, Georgia students have learned about the official state bird (Brown Thrasher), the state flower (Cherokee Rose), the state tree (Live Oak) and the state song ( Georgia On My Mind ). The newest generation of Georgia students will also have the opportunity to learn about our new official state school, Plains High School in Plains, Georgia.
Virtually every Georgian over the age of 10 already knows that Plains High School was the school attended by the only Georgia native ever to become president of the United States, James Earl (Jimmy) Carter Jr. Our nation's 39th president was a student at Plains High School from 1930 to 1941 (grades 1-11) and credits the education he received there with inspiring him to look beyond the environs of his hometown and state.
Fittingly, this new state school is much more than just a building to place on the itinerary of tourists. It is an educational resource for students from all over Georgia.
An educational program was started at the school during the 1996-97 school year through a partnership of the Georgia Department of Education, Sumter County Schools and the National Park Service. The program is designed for students to come to the museum and spend the entire day learning in the same setting that challenged Pres. and Mrs. Carter to excel.
A special curriculum has been developed that integrates many of the same techniques that made Plains High School a model in the State of Georgia in the 1930s. The building has been meticulously restored to its original condition, and the classroom used for the lessons is designed to look like a classroom from 1937 when Carter was in the seventh grade.