New Middle College to Open at Durham Tech
by R.J. Weber

Officials in Chapel Hill and Durham are hoping to help initiate Gov. Mike Easley’s “Learn and Earn” program when they open a new middle-college high school next fall.

Durham Technical Community College will be home to a new school that will offer rising high school juniors in Chapel Hill, Carrboro and Durham an alternative to the traditional high school.

School administrators will select nearly 200 students to attend the middle college. The students will complete all high school requirements and begin working on associate’s degrees in fields such as dentistry and nursing.

Administrators say there are many perks to the new project.

“I think most people in Durham are very excited about additional learning environments—small environments,” said Chris Bennett of Durham Public Schools. “That’s one of the big advantages of this whole concept—there are only 200 students, as opposed to 2,000 students in a high school.”

Officials say the costs of the new school are relatively low for a new program.

For more information about the middle-college program, please visit the Durham Public School’s website.