The Fort Bragg Schools' district is composed of seven elementary schools (grades pre-K-4), one elementary schoo (grades pre-K-5), an intermediate school (grades 5 & 6) and a junior high school (grades 7-9). Ninth grade students have an option of attending the junior high school or attending Cumberland County Schools. Students in grades 10-12 attend Cumberland County Schools. Current enrollment for the Fort Bragg Schools' district is approximately 4400 students.
Bowley Elementary School was established in 1953 as the first permanent school on base. The school was named for General Albert J. Bowley. In 1921 the War Department decided to abandon Camp Bragg. This effort was averted by the determined efforts of General Bowley, Commanding General of Camp Bragg. One year later, September 30, 1922, Camp Bragg became Fort Bragg, a permanent Army post. The present site of the school was part of a golf course and when the school opened, school lunches sold for 25 cents per day. The school, the Primary School, later named Bowley School, opened with 22 classrooms. A new facility, located on fifteen acres and behind the old Bowley School, opened in August 1989.
Butner Elementary was named for General Henry W. Butner, born in Pinnacle, N.C., 6 April 1875 and graduated from the Military Academy in 1898. He served in various capacities at posts at home and abroad until 1918 when he sailed for France with the A.E.F. During his service on the Western front, Butner took part in operations at St. Mihiel and Meuse Argonne. Returning to the United States , he commanded Field Artillery School at Fort Sill , Okla. , 1920 to 1923, commanded a detachment of the Philippine Scouts; and served in various capacities until appointed Commanding General, Panama Canal Department, in 1936. Major General Butner died 13 March 1937 in Washington , D.C.
Devers Elementary School is named after Jacob L. Devers who is best remembered for his command of the 6th Army Group in Europe during World War II. From 1940 -1941, he commanded the 9th Infantry Division at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. General Devers died in 1979. His widow, Mrs. Devers, took part the dedication ceremony in 1996 when Devers Elementary was formally opened.
Holbrook Elementary School was named in honor of General Lucius R. Holbrook who was born in Arkansas, Wisconsin in 1875. General Holbrook organized the first training school for army bakers and cooks in 1907. He wrote the first cook's manual for the army in 1911. He invented the army field oven. In World War I he was assigned to the 7th Field Artillery unit, which fired the first artillery shell used in launching our assault against the Germans in France. He commanded Camp Bragg from May - July, 1919 and August, 1929 to October 1930. At that time, Camp Bragg was the largest Field Artillery post in the United States Army.
McNair School is named in honor of Major General William Sharp McNair. He served as the commander of Camp Bragg , NC from October 10, 1919 until February 4, 1920 and again from April 20, 1920 until August 15, 1920. A ceremony was held on March 12, 1962 dedicating the school. The superintendent of Fort Bragg Schools at that time was Mr. B.M. Holcombe. The first principal at McNair was Mr. Asa Jackson. Other principals of McNair ES in order of service were Mr. Donald Orr, Mr. Richard Ensley, Mrs. Alexandra Haar, Dr. Mary Brigham, Mrs. Jeanette Bost, Mr. Charlie Council and Mr. Tim Howle.
This school was named in memory of Major General Maxwell Murray, the first commander of Camp Bragg from September 16, 1918 to May 15, 1919. He also served at Fort Bragg as a member of the Field Artillery Board from May 1932 until May 1936. General Murray retired in 1946 after serving over forty-one years in the Army. He died August 4, 1948.
Pope Elementary School is named in memory of First Lieutenant Harley Halbert Pope who was killed on January 7, 1919, when the Curtiss JN-4 Jenny he was flying crashed into the Cape Fear River . On April 1, 1919, the landing field was named Pope Field in honor of First Lieutenant Harley H. Pope who was killed in an airplane accident near Fayetteville . Pilots landing at Pope Field were instructed to make one or two low passes over the landing strip to clear it of wild deer, so abundant were the herds of deer in the cantonment.
Construction of a new elementary school is underway in the Linden Oaks area in the northern portion of Fort Bragg. The school is scheduled to open during the school year 2008-2009.
Classrooms for students who live in the Linden Oaks housing area will be set up in existing schools as shown on the list below. Placement of classes is to ensure that all Linden Oaks students will remain with the same teacher and classmates when the school move is made to the new building in the middle of the year. The new school at Linden Oaks is an elementary school and will have the same hours as other elementary schools.
Irwin School was named in memory of Lieutenant General Stafford LeRoy Irwin, who served as Post Commander of Fort Bragg from July 11, 1946 to October 31, 1948. General Irwin retired from the Army in 1952 with thirty-seven years service.
This school was named in memory of 1Lt Kenneth H. Albritton and a plaque displayed in the main entrance hallway states, “Lt Albritton was a native of Fayetteville , North Carolina who attended the Fort Bragg Schools. While serving as an Infantry officer in the Republic of Vietnam, he was mortally wounded. Lt. Albritton was awarded the Silver Star posthumously for gallantry in action against a hostile force. One of the many, one of our own, Lt Albritton served our nation proudly in Vietnam.
