Wake schools and Wake Tech are teaming up to give Morrisville its first high school
UPDATE: The Wake County school board voted on Oct. 19 to use Wake Early College of Information and Biotechnologies as the name of the new school.
Morrisville will get its first public high school under a partnership of the Wake County school system and Wake Technical Community College.
The Wake County school board approved an agreement Tuesday with Wake Tech to jointly open an early college high school on the college’s RTP Campus in 2022. The specialized high school will allow students to graduate with a high school diploma and up to two years of college credit.
Students will be able to focus on getting an associate’s degree in computer science areas such as computer programming, network management, cybersecurity or biotechnology.
“Appreciate our great partnership with @WCPSS,” Wake Tech president Scott Ralls tweeted Wednesday. “Excited for our further efforts to provide educational opportunities enabling more #WakeCounty students to thrive in one of America’s most dynamic regional economies!”
First district high school in Morrisville
The Wake school system has talked for decades about opening a high school in Morrisville, but the lack of a large, affordable site has been an issue. But the early college option allows the district to use the Wake Tech RTP Campus that opened in 2018.
Early colleges are small public high schools that offer students a chance to graduate with a diploma and tuition-free college credit. The schools are a partnership between school districts and local colleges, often community colleges.
Wake has six early colleges, which are all popular and have high graduation rates. The six early colleges offer specialized courses such as collision repair, cosmetology, culinary arts, early childhood education and welding.
“We are building on the success that we’ve had at our previous early colleges,” said Kimberly Lane, the district’s senior director of Magnet and Curriculum Enhancement Programs.
The plan is to have 100 students per grade level. But Wake Tech will only have room for 75 students per grade level on its RTP campus.
To serve more students, the district plans to have students take some of their classes at space set aside at the new Parkside Middle School that will be built in Morrisville. Students will go to the RTP campus for their college courses.
The school district is applying for state funding but is also preparing to use its own money to get the program started.
“We are excited about this opportunity for our students and for our continued partnership with Wake Technical Community College,” Paul Domenico, the district’s director of Curriculum Enhancement Programs, told the school board.
This story was originally published October 6, 2021 at 10:10 AM.
