» Does Early College cost more than having students attend traditional schools?
Apparently not, based on current budgets for Early College and years of experience at similar schools across the country.
The "per pupil cost" — the standard measure of educational cost — is roughly the same for Early College as it is for traditional schools.
Any higher costs for teaching or student services is offset by savings — in buildings, for example. Because Early College meets in existing buildings and open classrooms on the college campus, there's no need to build expensive new high school classrooms.
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» Can CCCC's existing staff and facilities handle Early College?
Yes. Though some minor details are still being worked out, Central Carolina Community College has been working closely with the Lee County Schools in every step of the planning process to make sure the school operates smoothly and succesfully.
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» You mentioned a grant. Who put up the money to help establish the school?
Funding to plan and establish Early College was provided by the North Carolina New Schools Project, an initiative of the North Carolina Office of the Governor.
The New Schools Project received about $11 million from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to help establish a variety of innovative schools across the Old North State. Lee Early College, one of them, is part of a nationwide effort to provide a fast-paced academic program and free college education to high school students.
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» Will the school require an unnecessary duplication of services?
No, and certainly not more than any other new school would require. To start with, many services for Early College students are unique to the nontraditional setting, meaning they're not available elsewhere at all. Other services are provided by staff members, based on the number of students in a school. So, if Early College students had remained in other county high schools, additional staff still would have been employed there to serve those additional students.
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» Are enough teachers dedicated to this idea for it to succeed?
Absolutely. From the first time Early College was discussed, teachers began expressing their interest in the new school, and inquiries increased significantly as everyone began to learn more. From all indications, Early College will be blessed with a large and well-qualified group of applicants when the faculty is selected.
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