Sarah Smith opened its doors to students in 1952 and was named for the late Sarah Rawson Smith, a member of a pioneer family long prominent in the educational, civic, and social life of Atlanta. The school was originally known as the Marion Smith Elementary School but was changed to Sarah Rawson Smith Elementary in 1954. This neighborhood school experienced significant growth over the years prompting the need for both a Primary Campus (grades K-2) and Intermediate Campus (Grades 3-5). The newly completed, state of the art, Intermediate Campus opened in January 2010. Sarah Smith Elementary School achieved IB World School status in 2006 and has been honored as a Georgia School of Excellence School and National Blue Ribbon School.