Bold Moves, Then and Now

Barton Academy is more than an architectural treasure, it’s a symbol of bold moves that have made Mobile an innovator in education for almost two centuries. Mobile built Barton in 1836 as Alabama’s first public school. Constructing such a monumental building for a city of only 13,000 people showed bold confidence and vision for growth. Now Mobile County Public School System makes another bold move by establishing Barton Academy for Advanced World Studies. This innovative project will create a specialty school for grades 6-12 where students will learn more than just foreign languages and world cultures – they’ll learn to succeed in an interconnected world. With this bold move, Mobile gains a homegrown workforce prepared to lead in a global economy, and students gain a competitive edge in college admissions, scholarships and careers.