The Mountain Community School

The Mountain Community School is a public charter school located in Henderson County, NC. It is organized and operated by the Henderson County Alliance for Education, a group of interested local parents and educators. As with other public schools, no tuition nor fees of any kind will be required for students to attend and any student eligible to attend public schools in Henderson County, NC (and who meets the age and grade requirements) is eligible to attend, subject to space availability. What grade levels are offered? In its first year of operation, grades kindergarten through sixth were offered, with one class per grade level. Seventh grade was added in 2000/2001, followed by eighth grade in 2001/2002. The MCS will operates as a K-8 school, with approximately 168 students. How is The Mountain Community School different from other public schools? Small class sizes (18/20 students) will allow more teacher/student contact time, and allow for a more individualized approach to each child's education. High expectations of students will challenge and motivate them to excel academically within their own individual frameworks, and allow each student to make the most of their public school experience. Extensive parental involvement will be central to the structure and success of The Mountain Community School. Who is eligible to attend? Any student eligible to attend public schools in Henderson County, NC, and who meets the age and grade requirements, is eligible to attend, subject to space availability. The Mountain Community School shall not discriminate against any student on the basis of ethnicity, national origin, age, gender, religion, or disability. Please see the enrollment section of this website! What academic programs are offered? The Mountain Community School will have high expectations of all students. We have chosen curricula rich in content and strong in skills development, yet flexible enough to challenge children at all levels of ability. The foundation of the curriculum will be the Core Knowledge Sequence (CKS), developed in conjunction with Dr. E. D. Hirsch, Jr. Core Knowledge provides a detailed outline of specific content to be taught in language arts, history and geography, math, science, and the fine arts. This curriculum has been shown to help students build a strong foundation of knowledge and a high level of cultural literacy in a coherent plan that builds year by year. Whether a child is considered "at risk" or "academically gifted", CKS offers an appropriately broad base of challenging knowledge to prepare them for successful higher learning. When did The Mountain Community School open? The Henderson County Alliance for Education applied to the NC Department of Public Instruction for a charter in August 1998. Preliminary approval was received from the DPI in November 1998, and final approval was officially received on March 9, 1999. The MCS began its first year of operations on July 22, 1999. Our calendar provides for 180 school days in a "9-2" format, with each 9-wk study period followed by a 2-wk break. Summers begin in late May and lasts approximately 7 weeks.