Cherokee County to build high school, consolidate 3 existing, with $50 million state grant

ASHEVILLE, N.C. (WLOS) — This week, Cherokee County Schools was named one of nine North Carolina districts to receive a needs-based school construction grant from North Carolina's state education department.

The N.C. Department of Public Instruction announced the nine school districts on Sept. 21, which will receive a combined $300 million in funds from state education lottery. The grants were aimed at districts in "economically distressed counties," as well as counties hard-hit by natural disasters.

The $50 million coming to Cherokee County will go directly towards building a brand new 9-12 high school, which will replace its three existing high schools -- Murphy High, Andrews High and Hiwassee Dam High -- and merge them into one. It's estimated the student base will be about 500 students at the new consolidated high school.

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“As a former superintendent of a rural school district, I know how important these dollars are to the communities receiving them,” said Robert Taylor, deputy state superintendent for School and Student Advancement. “It’s an investment by the state that will pay dividends into the future for many thousands of students and educators.”

The Cherokee County Board of Commissioners decided in late 2021 to move forward with the consolidation of its three traditional high schools by a vote of 3 to 2, though the school will not be built for several years.

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In total, NCDPI received 164 grant applications from 72 districts across the state.

Among the projects being funded with the grant money given to the nine school districts are: seven new or replacement school buildings, including three high schools, two schools combining middle and high school grades, an intermediate school for upper elementary and middle school grades and a Career and Technical Education Center.

The other eight districts that received grants from NCDPI were in Alleghany, Gates, Greene, Halifax, Hyde, Pamlico, Perquimans and Tyrrell counties.