A collaborative meeting regarding the Cooperative Innovative High School (working title) was held last Friday, Feb. 28, in Van Dusen Hall on the campus of Sandhills Community College (SCC) with Moore County School representatives, Dr. Tim Locklair, Dr. Mike Metcalf and Dr. Ashlee Ciccone as well as Senator Tom McInnis and Representative Neal Jackson from the General Assembly of North Carolina.    

The purpose of the meeting was to review steps that have led up to the Collaborative High School concept; how the funding was obtained; and how the team expects to execute the plan over multiple phases related to academics and future space moving forward. 

Presentations were made by Dr. Ashlee Ciccone who was proud to announce that there are 10 students who have already applied. She shared that she has visited all interested eighth graders in the district as well as at charter, private and home schools. In addition, Provost Dr. Rebecca Roush, Executive Vice President Dr. David "DJ" Farmer and President Dr. Alexander "Sandy" Stewart from SCC shared information related to increased enrollment of high school students; course curriculum pathways and opportunities; and steps to design and construct a facility. 

The first class will start this fall by welcoming a freshmen cohort on the second floor of Van Dusen Hall with an anticipated inaugural class of 70. Staffing, courses, meals and transportation will be provided by the school system. The advanced planning phase is underway with an expected report to the SCC Board of Trustees in April. The Board will have options to consider for site placement, size, scope and projected costs of any building projects. The next phases will be design, and eventually construction, with the goal of completion by Fall of 2027. 

While those phases are taking place, the second floor of Van Dusen Hall will host at least the first two cohorts of students, expected to be around 70 apiece. This concept will be like the efforts at Sandhoke Early College High School in Hoke County but serve a different population of students while offering additional experiences on campus and in the classrooms.  By the students' junior and senior year, they will start integrating classroom and hands-on experiences within the college environment with the potential of earning an associate's degree as a super senior if they wish.

Senator McInnis noted that North Carolina has been recognized as the No.1 or No. 2 state for business for the past three years, bringing a surge in job demand.  By 2031 there are projected to be 576,000 annual job openings in NC and 68% of those will require a post-secondary or high-quality credential. By funding and focusing on these in-demand workforce skills and trades, the new high school and Sandhills Community College will continue to propel the pipeline of talent and open doors for students in the region.