Wake Board of Education approves agreement for new computer science high school in the RTP – WRAL.com

By Emily Walkenhorst, WRAL education reporter

Cary, N.C. A computer science-focused early college high school will open next year in Wake County, pending approval from state leaders.

The Wake County Board of Education approved a memorandum of understanding between with the Wake Technical Community College without opposition Tuesday night.

The high school, yet to be named, would enroll a maximum of 75 students in each of the four grades at first, eventually increasing capacity to 100 students per grade.

It would be the systems first high school in Morrisville and at the Research Triangle Park. It would be located primarily on the second floor of a building on the edge of Wake Techs RTP campus.

Students could also attend courses at the college.

According to the agreement approved Tuesday, the school will focus on computer programming, cybersecurity and network management, and biotechnology with the potential for the change or addition of other focus areas based on market demand and program availability and as approved by the parties.

The school would be on a modified calendar and application-based.

While the board has approved the memorandum of understanding with Wake Tech, North Carolina school districts must also apply at the state level to open an early college high school. Thats according to the Cooperative Innovative High School state statute.

School system officials submitted an application last week, said Paul Domenico. district director of curriculum enhancement programs. Domenico told the board he believed it was very strong.

The school district already has six early colleges, three of which come from partnerships with Wake Tech.

The Wake County Public School System has expanded specialized programming at both base and magnet schools as its enrollment is projected to stagnate and nearby charter school enrollment rises.

Early colleges are popular in Wake County and record high achievement levels. For the 2018-2019 school year, applications at three of the early college high schools exceeded the overall enrollment capacity for all grades at those schools.

Four-year graduation rates exceeded 95% among those who graduated this spring.

North Carolina was home to 132 cooperative innovative high schools as of August 2020, per the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction. Of those, 116 partner with a community college.

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Wake Board of Education approves agreement for new computer science high school in the RTP - WRAL.com

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