Tri-County Early College High School | |
---|---|
Address | |
4700 US 64 Alternate Murphy, North Carolina 28906 United States | |
Information | |
Type | Public |
Established | 2006 |
School district | Cherokee County Schools |
CEEB code | 342826 |
NCES School ID | 370078002892 |
Principal | Jason Forrister (CCSI) |
Staff | 10.83 (FTE) [1] |
Grades | 9–13 |
Enrollment | ≈177 |
Student to teacher ratio | 14.13:1 |
Color(s) | Blue and yellow |
Mascot | Jaguar |
Website | tcec |
Tri-County Early College High School (TCEC) in the Peachtree community of Murphy, North Carolina, is a North Carolina Cooperative Innovative High School part of Cherokee County Schools, but also serves the Clay County School District. Although Graham County is included in the service area of Tri-County Community College, TCEC is not. As of 2025 it had a full-time teaching staff of 14 teachers, with an average of 14 students per teacher. [2] [3] In 2024-25 enrollment was about 177.
TCEC's mascot is the Jaguars.
TCEC opened in 2006 on the Tri-County Community College campus. With the support of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, TCEC was one of more than 40 North Carolina early colleges created to carry out former Governor Mike Easley's Learn and Earn Initiative. [4]
In July 2021, a new 66,000-square-foot building broke ground on 27 acres next to Tri-County Community College (TCCC). This building was for the new Cherokee County Schools of Innovation (CCSI), which not only houses TCEC, but also The Oaks Academy (TOA) vocational school, and the Cherokee County Schools Career Academy. The building was designed by LS3P Architects. [5] Alissa Cheek was tapped by then superintendent Jeana Y. Conley to be head of the project and became the school's first principal. Cherokee County Schools hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony on August 22, 2023, for CCSI; the new school's first day of classes was August 29, 2023.
Clay County is a county located in the far western part of U.S. state North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the county population was 11,089. The county seat is Hayesville.
Cherokee County is the westernmost county in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It borders Tennessee to its west and Georgia to its south. As of the 2020 census, the population was 28,774. The county seat is Murphy.
Andrews is a town in Cherokee County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 1,667 at the 2020 census.
Murphy is a town in and the county seat of Cherokee County, North Carolina, United States. It is situated at the confluence of the Hiwassee and Valley rivers. It is the westernmost county seat in the state of North Carolina, approximately 360 miles (580 km) from the state capital in Raleigh. The population of Murphy was 1,608 at the 2020 census.
Hayesville is a town in Clay County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 311 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Clay County.
Western Carolina University (WCU) is a public university in Cullowhee, North Carolina. It is part of the University of North Carolina system.
Hiwassee is a small village in Cherokee County, North Carolina, United States, which sits next to the Hiwassee Dam and the artificially created Hiwassee Reservoir, on Hiwassee River.
Tri-County Community College is a public community college in Murphy, North Carolina. It was founded in 1964 to serve Cherokee, Clay, and Graham counties and is part of the North Carolina Community College System.
Marble is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Cherokee County, North Carolina, United States. As of the 2010 census it had a population of 321.
Hayesville High School is a school located in Hayesville, North Carolina and is part of the Clay County School District. It is the only public high school in Clay County. As of 2024, the school's enrollment is 371 students and it has 33 teaching staff members. That is an average of 10.27 students per teacher.
Brasstown is an unincorporated community located mostly within Clay County, North Carolina, United States, though roughly one third of Brasstown is within the adjacent Cherokee County. Brasstown Creek travels through the community and separates the two counties.
Cherokee County Schools manages the 13 public schools in Cherokee County, North Carolina, United States, with an enrollment of 3,079 students and a 13.25:1 student-to-teacher ratio.
Murphy High School (MHS) is a public high school in Murphy, North Carolina. It serves grades 9–12 and is one of only three high schools in the Cherokee County Schools system. The MHS campus is sandwiched between U.S. Route 19 and the Valley River. The high school shares its campus with Murphy Middle School and the Cherokee County Schools Bus Garage. As of 2007 the school had a full-time teaching staff of 42 teachers giving an average of 12 students per teacher. It has a GreatSchools rating of 5/10 and an average community rating of 4/5 stars. In the 2024-25 school year, 437 students were enrolled. The school has a capacity of 746 students.
Hiwassee Dam High School (HDHS) in Murphy, North Carolina serves grades 9–12 and is one of three high schools in Cherokee County Schools. It is the westernmost public school in the state of North Carolina. As of 2007 it had a full-time teaching staff of 20 teachers giving an average of 11 students per teacher. Enrollment is 139 students. The school's capacity is 361 students.
Clay County Schools (CCS) manages the public school system in Clay County, North Carolina. It is the only school district in Clay County and covers all of the county with about 1,320 students attending a total of 4 separate schools located on a central campus in Hayesville. After county government, Clay County Schools is the county's largest employer with a staff of 205 people.
Robbinsville High School is a public, co-educational secondary school located in Robbinsville, North Carolina. It is the only high school in the Graham County Schools system.
Bellview is an unincorporated community in Cherokee County, in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is part of Notla Township, and is located immediately north of the Georgia border, about 10 miles south of Murphy, NC. Its average elevation is 1800 feet above sea level. U.S. Route 19 is the main highway through Bellview.
Martins Creek is an unincorporated community in Cherokee County, in the U.S. state of North Carolina.
Peachtree is a community located in Cherokee County, North Carolina. It is named after the numerous peach trees found in the area.
Macon County Schools manages the public school system in Macon County, North Carolina. It incorporates three districts with about 4,450 students attending a total of 12 separate schools. The district employs 335 classroom teachers as of 2023, with a student-to-teacher ratio of 13.28 to 1. As of 2023, the district's annual budget is $51.8 million, or $11,888 per student.