--- title: HR 388. Baldwin, Beauty P.; commend collection: bills id: 2025-2026/hr388 cite_as: HR 388, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr388 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr388.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr388/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/70770 date: 2025-02-24 status: passed corpus_version: bills-2026-09-13 license: Public record of the Georgia General Assembly, via LegiScan; see about.md publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice. up: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026.md previous: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr387.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr389.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 131 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr388.md?full=1 bill_number: HR 388 session: 2025-2026 Regular Session session_slug: 2025-2026 chamber: House bill_type: resolution status_date: 2025-02-24 last_action: House Read and Adopted sponsors: - Arlene Beckles - Dewey McClain - Gabe Okoye - Matt Reeves - Marvin Lim - Jasmine Clark text_version: Introduced has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HR388/2025 upstream_id: 1982051 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - education history - commendation resolution - Georgia House of Representatives - Buford City Schools --- # HR 388. Baldwin, Beauty P.; commend ## Text House Resolution 388 By: Representatives Beckles of the 96th, McClain of the 109th, Okoye of the 102nd, Reeves of the 99th, Lim of the 98th, and others A RESOLUTION Recognizing and commending Beauty P. Baldwin; and for other purposes. WHEREAS, Beauty P. Baldwin's remarkable journey from a sharecropping field in 1950s middle Georgia to becoming one of the most respected educators in the state is a story of resilience, faith, and a relentless commitment to shaping the future of education; and WHEREAS, born Beauty Poole, she grew up in the heart of Georgia, and after excelling in her early studies at T.J. Elder High School, Beauty P. Baldwin enrolled at Savannah State College, where she graduated in 1963; and WHEREAS, she accepted her first teaching job at a segregated high school in Ellaville, Georgia, serving as the school's entire math department, and she later moved to Columbus, Georgia, where she taught at Hardaway High School for a decade, navigating the complexities of school integration with grace and authority; and WHEREAS, in 1973, she took a position at Central Gwinnett High School in Gwinnett County, where she served as the only Black educator—her contributions to the school, including the establishment of a nationally recognized vocational education program, advanced her into the role of assistant principal in 1978; and WHEREAS, in 1980, her career took a historic turn when she was recruited by Buford City Schools to serve as principal, where after four years, she was appointed the district's superintendent, making history as the first Black school superintendent in Georgia; and WHEREAS, her appointment was met with national attention, and she was honored by the Congressional Black Caucus in Washington, D.C., as one of the first Black female superintendents in the United States; and WHEREAS, Beauty P. Baldwin served as superintendent of Buford City Schools for 14 years, retiring in 1994 after 31 years in education; and WHEREAS, following her retirement, she continued her work in education by founding Hopewell Christian Academy in 1997, a school dedicated to providing a strong academic foundation grounded in Christian values; and WHEREAS, it is abundantly fitting and proper that this distinguished educator and academic professional be appropriately honored. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES that the members of this body recognize and commend Beauty P. Baldwin for her decades of service on behalf of the youth of this state as well as extend best wishes for future health and happiness. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Clerk of the House of Representatives is authorized and directed to make an appropriate copy of this resolution available for distribution to Beauty P. Baldwin. ## Summaries written by Georgia Commons The following was written by claude-sonnet-5 from the text above and is not part of the resolution. Quote the text, not the summary. A Georgia House resolution commends Beauty P. Baldwin, a longtime educator who became the state's first Black school superintendent, for her decades of service to Georgia students. ### Plain-language summary This resolution from the Georgia House of Representatives honors Beauty P. Baldwin, an educator whose career took her from a segregated high school classroom in Ellaville to the superintendent's office of Buford City Schools. The resolution recounts her path: graduating from Savannah State College in 1963, teaching math in Ellaville and later at Hardaway High School in Columbus, becoming the only Black educator at Central Gwinnett High School, and rising to assistant principal there in 1978. It notes she became principal of Buford City Schools in 1980 and, four years later, was appointed superintendent, the first Black person to hold that role in Georgia. She served in that post for 14 years before retiring in 1994, then founded Hopewell Christian Academy in 1997. The resolution formally recognizes and commends her for her service and directs the Clerk of the House to send her a copy. ### What it does - Formally recognizes and commends Beauty P. Baldwin for her decades of work in Georgia education. - Documents her career history, including becoming the first Black school superintendent in Georgia at Buford City Schools. - Extends the House's best wishes to her for future health and happiness. - Directs the Clerk of the House of Representatives to prepare and distribute a copy of the resolution to Baldwin. ### Who it affects This resolution directly honors Beauty P. Baldwin. It has no regulatory effect on other Georgians; it is a ceremonial statement by the Georgia House of Representatives recognizing one individual's career in education. ### Why it matters The resolution carries no legal or financial consequences and changes no Georgia law. Its significance is symbolic: it places an official House record of Baldwin's career, including her role as Georgia's first Black school superintendent, into the legislative record. ### Key provisions - The whereas clauses recount Baldwin's education and career, including her 1963 graduation from Savannah State College and her teaching posts in Ellaville and Columbus. - The clauses note her 1980 appointment as principal and later superintendent of Buford City Schools, making her Georgia's first Black school superintendent. - The resolving clause formally commends her for her service and wishes her future health and happiness. - A further resolving clause directs the Clerk of the House to provide her with a copy of the resolution. ## Status - Status: Passed (2025-02-24) - Last action: House Read and Adopted (2025-02-24) - Sponsors: Arlene Beckles, Dewey McClain, Gabe Okoye, Matt Reeves, Marvin Lim, Jasmine Clark - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/70770 > The history, votes, and amendments (131 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr388.md?full=1