Education Information
The Burke County Public School system is innovative,
transformational, focused and successful. It believes in preparing students
for life-long learning and approaches each student with not only a nurturing
attitude but one of encouragement and celebration. There is a strong
collaboration between the school system, the Burke County Chamber of
Commerce, the eight municipalities which make up Burke County, and Western
Piedmont Community College in creating a positive educational climate
for each of the thirty schools and provide a seamless education from
pre-kindergarten through high school and beyond. There is a shared philosophy
that “strong education equals strong economy.”
In terms of innovation, Burke County Public Schools has excelled in
many areas:
earlier identification of students who need more individual attention
and addressed these needs; created smaller class size; and provided
more programs to actively engage students academically. The system has
been transformational in its desire to increase its graduation rate
and successfully turned around the way the students think about and
participate in the learning process. This is evidenced by the different
types of flexible school environments that have been created with an
understanding of how students learn – Burke Middle College, College
Street Academy and East ALPS. Burke County Public Schools is one of
five schools in North Carolina to reduce its drop-out rate over a three
year period as well as experience improved test scores. Other past successes
include national acclaim for a pre-kindergarten program, recruitment
program for teachers as well as numerous state awards for career and
economic development, reading, leadership and excellence awards. The
school system is unified in a focus to build an education system in
which each student can compete in a global economy and has a track record
of procuring additional funds and grant dollars to enhance education.
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The continued progressive reports about the school system can be attributed
to two factors – the dedicated staff and the people of Burke County.
The largest employer in Burke County with 2300 employees, school staff
are dedicated individuals with one common focus – quality service for
the students. The second factor is the people of Burke County – individuals
and business and community leaders who value education and support the
mission of educating all students. There is also a seven member elected
school board that feels passionate about education.
The school system has one primary school, sixteen elementary schools,
five middle schools, four comprehensive high schools, one special needs
school, two academies and one Middle College. These schools provide
educational services to approximately 13,500 students – the finest students
in the nation.
The New
Dimensions Charter School
The New Dimensions School is Burke County’s only public charter
school. It is a small tuition-free school that serves children in kindergarten
through fifth grades. The mission of NDS is to create learning environments
that support students’ interests, talents and abilities as the building
blocks for academic achievement. The New Dimensions School is located
at 501 East Concord Street near downtown Morganton For information,
call 828-437-5753.
Morganton
Day School
Morganton Day School is an independent, non-sectarian, coeducational
day school that has exemplified excellence in education for over 25
years. Serving grades K-8, students of different faiths and heritages
are welcomed. MDS seeks to maintain a relaxed, small school atmosphere
and a challenging academic environment so each student can succeed academically,
physically and socially. Students have consistently scored at or above
the 90th percentile on the California Achievement Test and a high percentage
of students have been selected for the Duke TIP program. For more information,
call 828-437-6782
Morganton
Christian Academy
Serving Pre-K thru 12, Morganton Christian Academy offers one-on-one,
high quality Bible-based curriculum. For more information, call 828-437-1897.
Silver
Creek Adventist School
Serving grades 1 – 8, Silver Creek Adventist School offers small
teacher to student ratios in order to provide a more individualized
teaching program.
North Carolina School
for the Deaf
The North Carolina School for the Deaf (NCSD), established in 1894,
is a day/residential facility for the education of children who are
deaf and hard of hearing. It is located on a beautiful and historic
160-acre campus in Morganton. The Interim School Director is Janet McDaniel.
The North Carolina School for the Deaf is dually accredited
by the Conference of Educational Administrators of Schools and Programs
for the Deaf (CEASD), an organization of executive heads of educational
programs for deaf or hard-of-hearing students in the United States and
Canada and by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS),
a regional committee under the National Study of Schools.
NCSD is under the jurisdiction of The Office of Education
Services (OES), a division of the North Carolina Department of Health
and Human Services.
Western Piedmont Community
College
Chartered in 1964, Western Piedmont Community College supports
annual enrollments of more than 14,000, and is accredited by the
commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of College and
Schools to award the associate degree.
The College has revised its Master Campus Plan and has undertaken a
series of bold expansion plans. The most recent addition is a 25,000
square foot continuing education facility that was recently named the
Jim A. Richardson Campus. Previous additions include a 42,000 square
foot Business Technologies Center and a 46,000 square foot Phifer
Learning Resources Center which contains a library, conference rooms,
drama studio, audio visuals center, faculty offices and classrooms.
Adult education opportunities are available through Western Piedmont
Community College. The college offers classes for senior citizens 55
years and older. The cost of each class is $25 for individuals 55-64
years of age. Individuals 65 and over are exempt from fees.
Hickory Metro Higher
Ed Center (HMHEC)
The Hickory Metro Higher Ed Center is a collaborative partnership
among Appalachian State University, Catawba Valley Community College,
Lenoir-Rhyne College, Northwest AHEC, UNC Charlotte, UNC Chapel Hill,
and Western Carolina University. The mission of the HMHEC is to support
and enhance the educational attainment and economic development of the
region by offering a broad range of programming in targeted areas of
study as needed and requested by the community.
Higher Education
Four-year degree programs are offered in Burke County by
Gardner-Webb University, Appalachian State University, Lees-McRae
College, and Western Carolina University offers classroom programs at
Old Rock School in Valdese and on line programs are also available.
Degrees in Business Administration, Criminal Justice and Human Services
are offered in the classroom. On line programs include Accounting,
Computer Information Systems and Health Management.
Gardner-Webb
University
Contact information: 1-800-288-GOAL
Classes held at Old Rock School in Valdese:
Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration
Bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice
Bachelor’s degree in Human Services
On Line programs:
Bachelor’s degree in Accounting
Bachelor’s degree in Computer Information Systems
Bachelor’s degree in Health Management
Appalachian State
University – classes held at Western Piedmont Community College
Contact information: 1-800-355-4084
Bachelor’s degree in Business Management
Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education
Bachelor’s degree in Middle Grades Education
Bachelor’s degree in Nursing (RN to BSN)
Bachelor’s degree in Special Education (Grades K-12)
Master’s degree in Elementary Education
Master’s degree in Middle Grades Education
Master’s degree in Public Administration
Master’s degree in Reading Education
Master’s degree in School Administration
Educational Specialist degree in Higher Education, Adult Education
Lees McRae –
classes held at Western Piedmont Community College
Contact information - 1-800-280-4562
Bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice – New cohort begins every January
and accepts about 20 students per cohort.
Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education – New cohort begins every
January, and accepts about 20 students per cohort.
Western Carolina University - classes held at Western Piedmont
Community College
Contact information – 1-877-928-4968 or 828-448-3507
Bachelor’s degree in Business – major in Entrepreneurship
Bachelor’s degree in Engineering Technology will begin Spring, 2007 and
Fall, 2007
Bachelor’s degree in Nursing (RN to BSN)
Bachelor’s degrees in Birth to Kindergarten (and Teacher Licensure)
Master’s degree in Gerontology
(A Graduate Certificate in Gerontology is also available)
Master’s degree in Two-Year College Administration |
