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administration, and a caring, hardworking staff dedicated to the
development of children.Schools are small and manageable with 150 to
600 students and with individual identities. Also offered
are an A+ School with integrated arts, a Comer parent involvement
school, and middle schools that address early adolescent needs.
Included are 4 new schools and 5 fully renovated schools. The staff
is highly qualified with teachers working in their certified areas
and 50% of them holding or in the process of obtaining graduate
degrees. In addition to being one of the top ten out of 117 systems
in the state, academic excellence is exhibited by a #4 ranking in
the state in high school ELPS, #3 in the state in high school
physical science and #9 in the state in high school English I.
The Cyber Campus in Cherokee County is one of seven in the state
connected to the North Carolina Information Highway to provide
interactive video classes and technology training to students and
teachers. One computer per two students, networked labs, laptop
computers in all high school English classes, and wireless computers
in the middle schools and high schools contribute to the high
percentage (96%) of students proficient in computer skills.
Pre-kindergarten programs, including Even Start and More-at-Four,
enhance every elementary school. K-2 classes operate with fewer than
20 students and have teacher assistants.
The county also has schools that are not part of the public school
system. These include Murphy Seven Day Adventist School and the
Learning Center charter school in Murphy.
Tri-County Community College is Cherokee County's institute of
higher learning and provides satellite campuses.
The Murphy Public Library features a computer lab with Internet
access, a genealogy section and children's programs.
Murphy Medical Center provides 134 beds in Medicare and/or Medicaid
certified areas with 106 Medicaid certified skilled nursing care
beds.
Business and industry are diversified and steady in Cherokee County.
The largest employers are Murphy Medical Center, Cherokee County
Schools, Wal-Mart, Moog Components Group and Coats American. The
Andrews-Murphy Airport is undergoing renovations and work to turn it
into a business class facility. Tourism continues to play an
increasingly important role in the area's economy.
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