With a financial boost from the North Carolina New Schools Project and the U.S. Department of Education, the success of Beaufort County’s Early College High School may begin to spread to other traditional high schools in the area.

The Associated Press reported Thursday that the N.C. New Schools Project had raised $1.5 million in donations enabling them to secure a $15 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education. The federal funds – part of the $150 million “Investing in Innovation” grant competition – will be used to train employees at traditional high schools and rural school districts to replicate the level of achievement of students in early college high schools.

There are currently 74 early college high schools in North Carolina where students graduate in five years with a high school diploma and two years of college credits.

Beaufort County Early College High School, located on the campus of Beaufort County Community College, is scheduled to graduate its first senior class in 2012.

On behalf of the students, we extend our heartfelt gratitude to the Golden LEAF Foundation ($500,000), the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation ($200,000), the A.J. Fletcher Foundation ($100,000), PPD Inc. founder Fred Eshelman ($100,000) and Investors Management Corp., parent company of the Golden Corral restaurant chain ($100,000) for combining to pledge $1 million.

It is our hope that the program will help students at traditional schools realize the same degree of success that early college students have come to know.