Cherokee County Schools | |
---|---|
![]() CCS' current logo since 2007 | |
![]() The CCS Central Office in Marble, North Carolina | |
Address | |
2230 Airport Road Marble , Cherokee County, North Carolina, 28905United States | |
District information | |
Motto | Locally Grown, Globally Prepared |
Grades | Pre-K - 12 |
Superintendent | Dr. Keevin Woody |
Asst. superintendent(s) | John Higdon |
School board | Cherokee County Board of Education |
Chair of the board | Shannon Raper |
Schools | 13 |
Budget | $ 40,200,000 |
NCES District ID | 3700780 [1] |
Students and staff | |
Enrollment | 3,001 |
Faculty | 249.87 (FTE) |
Other information | |
Website | www |
Cherokee County Schools(CCS) manages the 13 public schools in Cherokee County, North Carolina, United States, with an enrollment of 3,001 students and a 13.25:1 student-to-teacher ratio. [2] [3] [4] [5]
The school superintendent is Dr. Keevin Woody. [6] There are currently 7 members in the Cherokee County Board of Education. [7] As of 2025, 13.2 percent of Cherokee County's annual budget goes toward education. [8] Cherokee County Schools' per-student spending is $14,972 as of 2024. [5] In the early-to-mid 2020s, the system has considered further school consolidation. Unless the number of campuses are reduced, the district will go broke in a few years, school board member Steve Coleman told the Cherokee County commission in 2025. [9]
The system's graduation rate is 92 percent as of 2023, higher than the state average of 86.5 percent. [7] As of 2025, just 24 percent of Cherokee County high school graduates are considered "college or career ready." Thirty-six percent of county students are considered "chronically absent" as of 2025. [5] The Cherokee Scout wrote in 2025 that enrollment is generally declining at county schools outside of Murphy and "it is common for young professionals to move across county and state lines to send their children to better-funded schools." [10]
Around 1900, Cherokee County had multiple private schools and schoolhouses. This included schools in the county that no longer exist such as the Ogreeta School or the Friendship School. The first school bus in Cherokee County was purchased in 1926, and served the Andrews community. Cherokee County modernized its school campuses between the late 1940s and early 1960s.
In 1891, the Murphy Public School was opened on the site of the former Providence Hospital. In 1910, the Murphy Grammar School, locally known as the "Dome Building" was opened. In 1925, the second Murphy High was built.
Peachtree Elementary School was built in 1947 after a fire burned the previous building on February 4, 1945. [11] The 1947 classroom building was burned in 1986. [12] The original school gym remains standing as of 2024. The Ranger School opened in 1951. [13] Unaka Elementary School was constructed in 1951 and opened on December 17. [14] The school had reported a lack of students since at least 1971, and the school closed in September 1993. [15] The Andrews Primary School was built in 1952. Marble Elementary School opened in 1956. [16] Later that year, the current Hiwassee Dam School was built and opened. The third and current Murphy High School opened in 1957. After a fire destroyed its previous building in 1962, the current Andrews High School was built. In 1969, Murphy City Schools and Andrews City Schools merged into Cherokee County Schools.
Around 1996, Cherokee County Schools hired Orkan Architecture P.A. to design four new schools, and an expansion piece to Murphy Elementary and Murphy High. The four new schools were Andrews Middle, Martins Creek Elementary, Murphy Middle, and Ranger Elementary. The Martins Creek and Ranger Schools had already existed but both schools were in need of a larger space. Murphy Middle was built around 1996, Martins Creek was built around 1997, and both Ranger Elementary and Andrews Middle were built in 1998. The schools were either built by Edison Foard, Inc. or Buncombe Construction Company, Inc. Murphy Elementary had classrooms and offices added, and Murphy High had a gym lobby added. Both additions were built by Edison Foard, Inc. All of the schools were built with nearly identical designs, especially in the interior. Every building had the same paint scheme in the halls and cafeterias. The foyers of the schools include the schools' acronyms on the floor made from tile. Each school was built with their own brick pattern, roof color (Andrews & Ranger maroon, Murphy black, and Martins Creek teal), and canopy design.
In 2014, superintendent Dr. Stephen Lane was charged with driving while intoxicated and lost his job. He had lost his previous job as superintendent due to a DWI charge as well. [17]
In the summer of 2024, Cherokee County received its first electric school bus as part of the Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean School Bus Grant Program.
In 2024, Cherokee County Schools' Central Office moved to the former Marble Elementary School building.
Elementary-middle schools are schools that teach kindergarten, or pre-kindergarten, to the 8th grade. Cherokee County Schools operated 3 elementary-middle schools until 2024 - Martins Creek, Ranger, and Hiwassee Dam. These three schools taught K-8.
On January 18, 2024, Cherokee County's school board voted to move Hiwassee Dam Elementary (K-5 Students) to Ranger Elementary School and move Ranger middle school students to Hiwassee Dam, leaving only Ranger Elementary and Hiwassee Dam Middle School (and High School). They also voted to move Martins Creek Elementary Middle students to Murphy Middle School. The reorganization went into effect for the 2024-2025 school year. [31] In March 2024, the Cherokee Scout wrote that the school board also plans to combine Peachtree Elementary School and Martins Creek School in the 2025-2026 school year.
The school board’s decision to reorganize multiple schools and rezone children ignited heated opposition. The board made the choice without public notice, took no public comment about the changes during that meeting, and did not seek feedback from staff or principals who were there. [32] The Scout reported that multiple citizens and the newspaper itself had difficulty getting any response from school board members. The Cherokee County Board of Commissioners called for a joint meeting with the school board, but the school district did not respond, prompting commissioners to delay approving school projects. In March 2024, the Scout wrote that the school district is “at odds with a growing list of local institutions and individuals that includes county government, the county’s Needs and Solutions Advisory Committee, parents, faculty, staff and even the Cherokee Scout.” [33]
Cherokee County Schools operates three middle schools, one of which was made into a middle school in 2024.
Cherokee County Schools operates 3 main high schools in the county, the oldest high school facility being Hiwassee Dam High (1956) and the newest being Andrews (1963). Murphy High School was built in 1957.
In May 2020 the Cherokee County Board of Education voted to build a new high school near Tri-County Community College in Peachtree to consolidate Andrews High, Hiwassee Dam High School, and Murphy High. [43] In September 2022 the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction awarded Cherokee County Schools a $50 million grant to move forward with consolidation. [44] After public outcry, in January 2023 new members of the Cherokee County Board of Education voted to return the money to the state rather than consolidate the schools. [45]
Cherokee County Schools also operates an alternative school, an early college, and career academy in the newest facility, named the Cherokee County Schools of Innovation. There are three schools in the facility.
On May 23, 2024, the Cherokee County Board of Commissioners unanimously voted to make an alternative use for CCS's Central Office at 911 Andrews Road. The board gave CCS until August 2, 2024, to surrender and vacate the property. [47] A statement from the letter given to Cherokee County Schools on May 24:
"Should Cherokee County Schools fail to vacate the premises by the 2 August 2024 at 5 p.m., Cherokee County Government reserves the right to seek summary ejectment..."
The above statement tells Cherokee County Schools that if they had not vacated the property before August 2, then they would have been evicted. An offer was made to Cherokee County Schools by the Board of Commissioners to use the former National Guard Amory at 188 James A. Mulkey Drive. Now a county-owned facility, the building is stated to have a comparable size to the current office. The county was willing to give funds for any renovations to the building for CCS's move. It was also stated that the Board of Commissioners will be glad to take any requests for other properties CCS would like to use for their Central Office and that they would still fund the renovations. CCS had previously considered using the Marble Elementary campus as a central office before the eviction notice. The Central Office moved to the Marble campus in late July 2024.
Facility/Campus | Constructed (Current) | Current Facility Opened | Original Opening | No. Facilities on Campus | Architect |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Andrews Elementary School (AES) | 1952-2003 | 1952 | 1952 | 4 | Lindsey Madison Gudger (.3 (Primary School piece)), Eric Townson (1.3 (1975 Expansion and Pre-K Bldg), Architectural Design Studio, PA (.3 (2003 Expansion), |
Andrews Middle School (AMS) | 1998 | 1999 | 1999 | 1 | Orkan Architecture, PA |
Andrews High School (AHS) | 1962-1987 | 1963 | c. 1890 | 5 | Chivous Gilmer Harrill (3), Eric Townson (2) |
Cherokee County Schools Bus Garage | 1960 | 1960 | 1960 | 1 | Unknown |
Cherokee County Schools Central Office | 1955-1976 | 2024 | Unknown | 1 | Lindsey Madison Gudger, Unknown |
Cherokee County Schools of Innovation (Facility) (CCSI) | 2021-2023 | 2023 | 2023 | 1 | LS3P Architects |
Cherokee County Schools Career Academy (CCSCA) | CCSI | 2023 | 2023 | CCSI | |
Hiwassee Dam Middle School (HDMS) | 1956-1987 | 1956 | 1939 | 2 | Donald Greene, Eric Townson |
Hiwassee Dam High School (HDHS) | 1956-1987 | 1956 | 1939 | 2 | Donald Greene, Eric Townson |
Martins Creek Elementary School (MCES) | 1997 | 1997 | c. 1940s | 1 | Orkan Architecture, PA |
Murphy Elementary School (MES) | 1952-1998 | 1957 | 1922 | 2 | Green and Robelot (Original), Orkan Architecture, PA (Addition) |
Murphy Middle School (MMS) | 1996 | 1997 | 1997 | 1 | Orkan Architecture, PA |
Murphy High School (MHS) | 1957-1998 | 1957 | c.1900 | 5 | Chivous Gilmer Harrill (1), Unknown (3), Eric Townson (1) Orkan Architecture, PA (Addition) |
Peachtree Elementary School (PES) | 1947-1989 | 1989 | 1800s | 3 | Lindsey Madison Gudger (1), Unknown |
Ranger Elementary School (RES) | 1998-2009 | 1998 | 1952 | 1 | Orkan Architecture, PA, Architectural Design Studio, PA (Addition) |
The Oaks Academy (TOA) | CCSI | 2023 | 2017 | CCSI | |
Tri-County Early College (TCEC) | CCSI | 2023 | 2006 | CCSI |