January 9, 2020

The Golden Triangle Early College High School on East Mississippi Community College’s Golden Triangle campus is accepting applications from eighth grade students in Clay, Lowndes, Oktibbeha and Noxubee counties who are interested in attending the high school beginning their ninth-grade year.

Eighth grade students and their parents who would like more information about GTECHS are encouraged to attend one of two information nights that will take place Tuesday, Jan. 14, and Thursday, Jan. 23. Both information sessions will begin at 6 p.m. in the Lyceum Auditorium.

GTECHS staff and instructors will be on hand to provide information about the school. Students enrolled at GTECHS also take classes at EMCC and college representatives will also be in attendance to talk about available programs in both academic and career technical fields of study.

Eighth grade students and their parents are also invited to attend GTECHS Campus Visit Day, which will take place Monday, Feb. 17. Attendees will be able to tour the school while classes are in session. Visitors will need to sign in between the hours of 9:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. in at the GTECHS administrative office, which is located in room 118 in the Douglas Building.

“The Campus Visit Day will take place on Presidents’ Day when a lot of schools are out,” GTECHS Principal Jill Savely said. “We will be having classes that day so it will be a good time for them to come see us in action.”

The deadline for the eighth graders to apply to attend GTECHS is Feb. 28. Sixty freshmen will be chosen among the applicants to attend GTECHS at the start of the school year that begins in August.

Applications can be picked up at either information session or during the GTECHS Campus Visit Day. Applications are also available online at www.eastms.edu under the “Programs” and “Early College High School” tabs.

“We are looking for students who for whatever reason don’t fit into a traditional school model,” Savely said. “Maybe they need a different structure. Maybe they need a new place. Maybe they need classes that are structured in a different way. It is really for any kid who wants to do high school in a different way.”

GTECHS opened its doors in August 2015 with 61 freshmen, who advanced a grade each year as new students were added to fill lower grades. The first group of students graduated last May. Today, GTECHS has about 220 students in grades 9-12.

GTECHS is Mississippi’s first early college high school in which students take both high school and college classes. Today, there are six early college high schools in the state.

The graduation rate at GTECHS last year was 98 percent. Of the remaining 2 percent, one student earned a high school equivalency diploma and the rest reenrolled in their home schools, Savely said. Furthermore, 41 of the 54 graduating seniors were also awarded either a technical certificate or an associate’s degree by EMCC.

“Many of our kids are middle of the road, really hard working kids,” Savely said. “Those are the kids who are most successful for us.”