Attapulgus education began with a male academy established in 1836 and a female academy in 1852. After public education was established in Georgia in 1872, a four-room frame building was built on the site. In 1921 Mariola School joined Attapulgus and a frame stucco building of eight rooms was built, but it burned in 1922. In 1925 Amsterdam School merged with Attapulgus and an eight-room brick building was built. In 1933 local people provided materials and the WPA provided labor to build “THE SHELL,” a gymnasium, and later an AG building, classrooms, and a lunch room were added. With county consolidation, the high school moved to Bainbridge in 1966 and the elementary grades in 1971. In 1972 a tornado badly damaged the main building and destroyed the gymnasium and AG building. The County Board declared the property surplus and sold it to Attapulgus Baptist Church in 1973. Dedicated teachers taught an excellent curriculum, and when the school closed, all teachers held masters degrees or better. Many graduates went on to higher education and performed as well as or better than those from larger schools.