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Cherokee County Schools (North Carolina)

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Cherokee County Schools
The CCS Central Office in Marble, North Carolina
Address
2230 Airport Road
Marble
, Cherokee County, North Carolina, 28905
United States
District information
MottoLocally Grown, Globally Prepared
GradesPre-K - 12
SuperintendentDr. Keevin Woody
Asst. superintendent(s)John Higdon
Schools13
Budget$ 40,200,000
NCES District ID3700780[1]
Students and staff
Enrollment3,146
Faculty249.87 (FTE)
Other information
Websitewww.cherokee.k12.nc.us

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.[2][3][4]

The school superintendent is Dr. Keevin Woody.[5] As of 2023, Cherokee County Schools' graduation rate is 92 percent. The state average is 86.5 percent.[6] As of 2021, Cherokee County Schools' per-student spending is $13,614.[4]

History

[edit]

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.

The former Murphy Grammar School was built in 1910

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.

Unaka Elementary School, the oldest public school building in Cherokee County, was constructed in 1947. The school had reported a lack of students since at least 1971, and the school closed in September 1993.[7] Peachtree Elementary School was built in 1947. The 1947 classroom building was burned in 1986.[8] The original school gym remains standing as of 2024.

The Andrews Primary School was built in 1951. In 1952, the Ranger School was built and opened. Marble Elementary School opened in 1956. 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.[9]

Cherokee County Schools' first electric school bus, a 2024 IC Bus Electric CE Series.

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.


Schools and facilities

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Andrews Elementary School with Andrews High School in the rear left

Elementary schools

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  • Andrews Elementary serves Pre-K through 5th grade. The school has an enrollment of 346 students and a capacity of 390 students. The school building was built in 1951 as the Andrews Primary School.[10] The primary school opened in August 1952.[11] The adjacent Andrews Grammar School was destroyed by fire in January 1971 and relocated in 1975 to the Andrews Primary building, making the Andrews Elementary School.[12] The building expanded in 1975 to accommodate the 800 children attending the school at the time. In 2003 a gymnasium was constructed on the west end of the building after the closure of the former 1934 rock gym that closed in 1999 due to the structural problems deeming it unsafe. This cut off a road and created a new hallway system on what was the west entrances. The rock gym was demolished that same year.
  • Murphy Elementary School serves grades Pre-K-5 and has an enrollment of 477 students and a capacity of 547 students.[13][14][15] The school was destroyed by a fire in January 1961 and rebuilt.[16] The school expanded in 1998, adding classrooms and offices.
    Martins Creek School on November 5, 2022
  • Martins Creek Elementary School (formerly Martins Creek Elementary Middle) serves grades K-5 and has an enrollment of 122. The current school building was constructed in 1997 while the old building about a quarter-mile away was remodeled and expanded for a new school. The 61-acre campus includes playgrounds, hiking trails, mountain biking trails, and a multi-functional gymnasium. This school served grades K-8 until 2024. As an elementary-middle school, the school received numerous awards and distinctions, including being in the top 25 Schools of Excellence in the North Carolina ABC program,[17] a School of Distinction, a School of Exemplary Growth, and was included in PC Magazine's Top 100 Wired Schools in the nation.[18] It is also one of the few schools in the state to be recognized as achieving exemplary growth every year since the ABCs Program began. [19][20][21]
  • Peachtree Elementary has an enrollment of 155 students and a capacity of 190 students. The building is the second constructed on its site. The current Peachtree Elementary building was built in 1989.
  • Ranger Elementary (formerly Ranger Elementary Middle) offers grades K-5 in Murphy and has an enrollment of 255. The Ranger School opened in 1952. The original building was demolished in 1998 and a new one was built. It was expanded in 2009 to add classrooms.[22] This school served grades K-8 until 2024.

Elementary-middle schools

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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.[23] 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.[24] 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.”[25]

Middle schools

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Andrews Middle in Andrews, North Carolina. Built 1998.

Cherokee County Schools operates three middle schools, one of which was made into a middle school in 2024.

  • Andrews Middle School in Andrews serves grades 6-8. AMS opened on August 9, 1999, after separation from Andrews High School (formerly Andrews Junior High). As of 2023 it had an active enrollment of 169 students and a capacity of 390 students. As of 2007 it had a full-time teaching staff of 24 teachers.[26][27][28]
  • Hiwassee Dam Middle School (formerly Hiwassee Dam Elementary Middle) offers grades 6-8 and is located in Murphy.[29][30] It has an enrollment of 126. It served grades K-8 until 2024.
  • Murphy Middle School is located in Murphy. It serves grades 6-8 and enrolls approximately 360 students. This school was built in 1996 next to the Murphy High School campus. It has capacity of 332 students.[31][32][33]

High schools

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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.

  • Andrews High School has an enrollment of 232 students and a capacity of 530 students. The school was incorporated in 1893 as a private school. The school became a public school around 1905. It opened its second building in 1915 and was rebuilt after a fire in 1962.[34]
  • Murphy High School has an enrollment of 437 students and a capacity of 746 students. The school was built and opened in 1957.
  • Hiwassee Dam High School has an enrollment of 139 students and a capacity of 361 students.[3] Its facility, constructed in 1956, is the oldest high school building currently in use in Cherokee County.

Consolidation effort (2020-2022)

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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.[35] In September 2022 the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction awarded Cherokee County Schools a $50 million grant to move forward with consolidation.[36] 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.[37]

Other schools

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Cherokee County Schools of Innovation, the county's newest school.

Cherokee County Schools also operates an alternative school and an early college.

  • The Oaks Academy is a middle-high alternative school in Murphy. The school was located at the former Marble Elementary School until 2023 when it moved to the Cherokee County Schools of Innovation. As of 2024, the school has an enrollment of 40 students.[3]
  • Tri-County Early College was founded in 2006 and has an enrollment of 221.
  • Cherokee County Schools of Innovation in Peachtree is the newest facility in the county and holds The Oaks Academy, Tri-County Early College, and a new Career Academy.

Former schools

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The Marble Elementary School sign
  • Marble Elementary School located in Marble. Built in 1955, it is one of the oldest school buildings still standing in Cherokee County. In 2024 it was converted into the Cherokee County Schools Central Office.
  • Unaka Elementary School located in Murphy is now the Unaka Community Center. The school closed in September 1993.[7] The school was built in 1947.
  • Mountain Youth School was located on the former Martins Creek campus. The school, originally named Mountain Youth Center, was an alternative school for those needing extra assistance in education. In 2017, the school relocated to the former Marble Elementary building and was re-established as The Oaks Academy. In 2023, The Oaks Academy moved to the Cherokee County Schools of Innovation in Peachtree.

Other facilities

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The Cherokee County Schools Bus Garage in July 2024
  • The Cherokee County School Bus Garage located near Murphy Middle maintains all school buses for the school district. The garage is a dated building constructed between 1950 and 1960.[38] Buses have low clearance and low parking space inside the garage due to bus size changes since the garage's construction. Cherokee County has 41 yellow school buses and 20 activity buses, a total of 61. School activity buses for the district were purchased in 1950 by Andrews City Schools, 1966 by Hiwassee Dam School, and 1969 by Murphy City Schools.
The former main office in Murphy, North Carolina used until 2024
  • The Cherokee County Schools Central Office is at 2230 Airport Road in Marble. This is the management facility of all campuses and other facilities owned by Cherokee County Schools. The superintendent, board of education, and other higher staff have offices here. The CCS Transportation office is not located at this facility, but instead located at the district's bus garage. The property is the site of the former Marble Elementary School building. This facility was also home to The Oaks Academy until 2023. The Central Office was previously located next to Murphy High School. When its site was being converted into Murphy Middle School, the office moved to 14 Hickory Street in downtown Murphy. In 2001, Cherokee County Schools started leasing a county-owned facility at 911 Andrews Road. In 2024 CCS was evicted and moved to its present location at the former Marble Elementary School.

Demand to surrender Central Office property (2024)

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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.[39] 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.

Key dates of CCS facilities

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School Constructed Opened Temporarily Closed Reason for Closure Permanently Closed Reason For Closure Reopened Fate Notes
Andrews Elementary School

(AES)

1951 1951 1971 Burned 1975
Andrews Middle School

(AMS)

1998 1999
Andrews High School

(AHS)

c. 1890, 1914, 1962 c. 1890 1961 (Public School), 1962 61' - Public School Demolished

62' - HS Burned

1915, 1963
Cherokee County Schools Bus Garage 1955 1955
Cherokee County Schools Central Office 1956, ????, ????, 1955 (Mar ES) 1970, 1997, 2001, 2024 Work was still done during moves
Cherokee County Schools of Innovation (Three Schools)

(CCSI)

2021-2023 2023
Cherokee County Schools Career Academy

(CCSCA)

2021 (CCSI) 2023
Hiwassee Dam Middle School

(HDMS)

1956 1956
Hiwassee Dam High School

(HDHS)

1956 1956
Marble Elementary School

(Mar ES)

1955 1955 2017 Low-budget of County Schools Consolidation with Andrews and Murphy Elementary,

Building For Sale

Martins Creek Elementary School

(MCES)

c. 1940s, 1997 c. 1940s 1997 Relocation 1998
Mountain Youth School

(MYS)

1940s 1997 2017 Re-established as The Oaks Academy
Murphy Elementary School

(MES)

1922, 1961 1922 1961 Demolished for new ES 1962
Murphy Middle School

(MMS)

1996 1997
Murphy High School

(MHS)

c.1900, 1925, 1956 c.1900 1925, 1956 25' - Relocation

56' - Relocation

1957
Peachtree Elementary School

(PES)

1900s, 1929, 1947, 1989 1800s 1929, 1945, 1986 29' - Relocation

45' - Burned 86' - Burned

1929, 1947, 1989
Ranger Elementary School

(RES)

1952, 1998 1952 1998 98' - Reconstruction 1999
The Oaks Academy

(TOA)

1955 (Mar ES), 2021 (CCSI) 2017
Tri-County Early College

(TCEC)

2006, 2021 (CCSI) 2006

Superintendents

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  1. Lloyd Hendrix (1939-1969)
  2. John Jordan (1969-c.1973)
  3. William R. Pipes (1983-????)
  4. Dr. Donald Bentley (c.1991-1995)
  5. Gary Steppe (1995-2002)
  6. Dr. Jeanette F. Hedrick (2002-2008)
  7. Dr. Stephen E. Lane (2008-2014)
  8. Dr. Jeana Y. Conley (2014-2022)
  9. Dr. Keevin G. Woody (2022-present)

References

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  1. ^ "Search for Public School Districts – District Detail for Cherokee County Schools". National Center for Education Statistics. Institute of Education Sciences. Retrieved February 10, 2013.
  2. ^ "NC Educationbug.org - Cherokee County School District". North-carolina.educationbug.org. June 1, 2007. Retrieved May 2, 2012.
  3. ^ a b c Foster, Randy (September 6, 2023). "Overcrowded with campuses". Cherokee Scout. Murphy, N.C.: Community Newspapers, Inc. p. 9A.
  4. ^ a b Foster, Randy (August 27, 2024). "By the numbers". Cherokee Scout. Murphy, NC: Community Newspapers Inc. pp. 1A, 9A. Retrieved September 6, 2024.
  5. ^ "Cherokee County Schools". Cherokee.k12.nc.us. Retrieved May 2, 2012.
  6. ^ Foster, Randy (December 19, 2023). "Schools improve in state grading". Cherokee Scout. Murphy, NC: Community Newspapers, Inc. p. 8A.
  7. ^ a b "Closed Schools Report". apps.schools.nc.gov. Retrieved October 28, 2024.
  8. ^ White, Alice Davis, ed. (1987). The Heritage of Cherokee County North Carolina Volume I 1987. Murphy, North Carolina: Hunter Publishing Company. p. 41. ISBN 0-89459-247-5.
  9. ^ Brown, David (September 18, 2024). "This week in local history". Cherokee Scout. Murphy, NC: Community Newspapers Inc. p. 7A.
  10. ^ "Jan 29, 1961, page 77 - Asheville Citizen-Times at Newspapers.com". Newspapers.com. Retrieved March 21, 2024.
  11. ^ "Cherokee scout. (Murphy, N.C.) 188?-1961, August 21, 1952, Image 1" (1952/08/21). August 21, 1952. ISSN 0746-3987. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  12. ^ "School bond vote set". The Cherokee Scout. Murphy, NC. September 23, 1971. p. A1.
  13. ^ "Official Website". Cherokeecounty.nc.schoolwebpages.com. February 21, 2011. Retrieved May 2, 2012.
  14. ^ "Murphy Elementary on". Psk12.com. Retrieved May 2, 2012.
  15. ^ "Murphy Elementary on Greatschools". Greatschools.org. September 7, 2010. Retrieved May 2, 2012.
  16. ^ "Fire destroys high school at Andrews". The Cherokee Scout. Murphy, N.C. February 22, 1962. p. A1.
  17. ^ "North Carolina ABC top 25 Schools" (PDF). Retrieved May 2, 2012.
  18. ^ "Martins Creek Elementary". Cherokee County Schools. Retrieved September 23, 2024.
  19. ^ "Martins Creek Elementary Middle School Official Website". Cherokeecounty.nc.schoolwebpages.com. June 19, 2011. Retrieved May 2, 2012.
  20. ^ "Martins Creek Elementary Middle on". Psk12.com. Retrieved May 2, 2012.
  21. ^ "Martins Creek Elementary Middle on Greatschools". Greatschools.org. September 7, 2010. Retrieved May 2, 2012.
  22. ^ "Detailed Information - Welcome!". October 10, 2020. Archived from the original on October 10, 2020. Retrieved September 15, 2024.
  23. ^ "Divided school board in Cherokee County, N.C. votes to reorganize schools". January 19, 2024.
  24. ^ Foster, Randy (February 20, 2024). "Parents scold school board". Cherokee Scout. Murphy, NC: Community Newspapers Inc. Retrieved March 25, 2024.
  25. ^ Foster, Randy (March 19, 2024). "County won't OK school projects". Cherokee Scout. Murphy, NC: Community Newspapers Inc. pp. 1A.
  26. ^ "Andrews Middle Home Page". Cherokeecounty.nc.schoolwebpages.com. October 4, 2009. Retrieved May 2, 2012.
  27. ^ "Andrews Middle on Greatschools". Greatschools.org. September 7, 2010. Retrieved May 2, 2012.
  28. ^ "Andrews Middle School on". Psk12.com. Retrieved May 2, 2012.
  29. ^ "Hiwassee Dam Elementary Middle Homepage". Cherokeecounty.nc.schoolwebpages.com. October 9, 2009. Retrieved May 2, 2012.
  30. ^ "Hdems On". Psk12.com. Retrieved May 2, 2012.
  31. ^ "Murphy Middle School Official Website". Greatschools.org. September 7, 2010. Retrieved May 2, 2012.
  32. ^ "Murphy Middle on". Psk12.com. Retrieved May 2, 2012.
  33. ^ "Murphy Middle on Greatschools". Greatschools.org. September 7, 2010. Retrieved May 2, 2012.
  34. ^ "Fire destroys high school at Andrews". The Cherokee Scout. Murphy, N.C. February 22, 1962. p. A1.
  35. ^ Thompson, David (May 29, 2020). "Cherokee County votes to consolidate three high schools". Asheville Citizen-Times. Retrieved May 29, 2020.
  36. ^ https://www.cherokeescout.com/local/county-receives-50-million-grant-consolidated-high-school [bare URL]
  37. ^ Putnam, Jared (January 10, 2023). "County officially turns down grant". Cherokee Scout. Murphy, N.C.: Community Newspapers, Inc.
  38. ^ "Jan 29, 1961, page 77 - Asheville Citizen-Times at Newspapers.com". Newspapers.com. Retrieved March 21, 2024.
  39. ^ WTVC (May 24, 2024). "Cherokee County, NC Schools district headquarters ordered to vacate its current location". WTVC. Retrieved May 26, 2024.
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