Unlike many of his peers, Buford City Schools 2018 Teacher of the Year Bobby Dubay didn’t grow up wanting to teach. He did, however, know he wanted to impact the lives of others.
Dubay, now approaching his eighth year in the classroom, teaches second grade at Buford Academy and sees teaching as both incredibly rewarding and vitally important. “Our profession has been afforded a rare gift. We can shape the lives of hundreds and sometimes thousands of people,” he says. Being part of a child’s success, says Dubay, “especially the children others may see as lost causes,” is the most rewarding part of his job.
But Dubay isn’t the only teacher in his classroom. To him, his students take on that role as well. “In this day and time of seemingly constant conflict and turmoil, it’s easy to become jaded and pessimistic with the future. My students teach me that goodness is still alive and well. They teach me the future isn’t something to fear because there are still lots of good little people out there who are going to grow up to be amazing adults.”
Buford City Schools Fast Facts!
Buford City School System
- Named #1 Best School District 2018 by Niche Best Schools
- Named #1 school system by School Digger
Buford Elementary School
- Nicholas Swanson won 2nd place in the Metro RESA Young Georgia Author’s Writing Competition .
- Read to by Buford High seniors during Read Across America.
- Students checked out 89,000 books from the media center this year (over 120 books read per child).
Buford Academy
- FY18 Title I High Performing Reward School recognition.
- Governor’s Shape Honor Roll Platinum Award.
- Girls on the Run Program.
- Named #13 in Georgia Elementary Schools by Niche Best Schools.
- Buford Academy teacher Bobby Dubay was selected as the Buford City School System 2017 Teacher of the Year.
Buford Middle School
- College and Career Ready Performance Score among the top scores in the state.
- School Climate Rating is highest rating possible.
- Named #1 Middle School by Niche.
- 2017 Blue Ribbon School of Excellence.
- FY18 Platinum Award by the Georgia Department of Education.
- FY18 High Performing Title I Reward School by the Georgia Department of Education.
Buford High School
- Class of 2018 earned more than $8.3 million dollars in scholarships.
- Earned four State Championships:
- Girls Basketball – Back to Back
- Girls Track and Field- Back to Back
- Wresting- Dual and Traditional
- Literary- 10 years in a row!
- One of US News and World Report’s Best Schools in America.
- 2018 National Merit Scholarship Recipient.
- College and Career Ready Performance Score among the top scores in the state.
- FY18 Platinum Award from the Georgia Department of Education.
- Georgia Department of Education FY18 High Performing Title I Reward School.
- One of Washington Post’s Most Challenging High Schools.
- Niche’s Top 20 high school in Georgia.
City of Buford on the Rise
If only Algernon could see it now! It was 1872 when the depot on the railway line between Atlanta and Charlotte became the Town of Buford. The town’s ties to the railroad were so vital that the young community took its name from Algernon Sidney Buford, then the president of the Atlanta and Richmond Air-Line Railroad.
Even early on, Buford was known for being progressive in business and education. In 1902, Buford was referred to as the “New York City of Gwinnett,” for its industry and activities and for more than 60 years was the largest city in Gwinnett. Widely known for its quality schools, students from adjoining counties came to acquire the prestigious diploma from Buford High School.
Today, Buford City Schools retain their ‘tradition of excellence.’ Buford Elementary School, Buford Academy, Buford Middle School and Buford High are currently home to more than 4,000 students and have garnered state and national accolades. (Read more about Buford City Schools in this issue.)
Buford residents today love that their modern, growing community is a charming mix of old and new. Historic downtown Buford has re-emerged as a thriving cultural and business center, complemented by new developments like the Buford Community Center. This jewel includes a theater, conference center and meeting space, the Buford Museum and the popular Town Park that hosts entertainment for all ages. Throughout the city, there’s no shortage of new options for dining, shopping and entertainment, also contributing to Buford’s great quality of life.
