| Tri-County Early College High School | |
|---|---|
 Tri-County Early College is located in the Cherokee County Schools of Innovation | |
| Address | |
| 4700 US 64 Alternate Murphy, North Carolina 28906 United States | |
| Information | |
| Type | Public |
| Established | 2006 (19 years ago) (2006) |
| School district | Cherokee County Schools |
| CEEB code | 342826 |
| NCES School ID | 370078002892 |
| Principal | Jason Forrister (CCSI) |
| Staff | 10.83 (FTE) |
| Grades | 9–13 |
| Enrollment | ≈177 |
| Student to teacher ratio | 14.13:1 |
| Color(s) | Blue and yellow |
| Mascot | Jaguar |
| Website | tcec |
Tri-County Early College High School (TCEC) in the Peachtree community of Murphy, North Carolina is a North Carolina Cooperative Innovative High School in the Cherokee County Schools. As of 2025 it had a full-time teaching staff of 14 teachers giving an average of 14 students per teacher. In 2024-25 enrollment was about 177.
Athletics
TCEC's mascot is the Jaguars.
Sports teams
History
TCEC opened in 2006 on the TCCC campus. With the support of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, TCEC was one of over 40 North Carolina early colleges created to carry out former Governor Mike Easley's Learn and Earn Initiative.
In July 2021, a new 66,000-square-foot building broke ground on 27 next to Tri-County Community College (TCCC). This building was for the new Cherokee County Schools of Innovation (CCSI), which not only houses TCEC, but also houses The Oaks Academy (TOA) vocational school, and the Cherokee County Schools Career Academy. The building was designed by LS3P Architects. Alissa Cheek, first and previous TCEC principal was head of the project, as tapped by then superintendent Jeana Y. Conley. Cherokee County Schools hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony on August 22, 2023 for CCSI and the first day of the 2023-2024 school year was August 29.
Principals
- Allissa Cheek (2006-2021)
- Jason Forrister (2021-)
References
- "Tri-County Early College High School". National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved January 16, 2025.
- "Staff Directory | Tri-County Early College". tcec.cherokee.k12.nc.us. Retrieved January 17, 2025.
- "Search for Public Schools - Tri-County Early College High (370078002892)". nces.ed.gov. Retrieved January 17, 2025.
- "About". tcec.cherokee.k12.nc.us. Retrieved January 17, 2025.
- "Touring the Schools of Innovation | Cherokee Scout, Murphy, North Carolina". www.cherokeescout.com. Archived from the original on March 14, 2023. Retrieved January 17, 2025.