Last year on the Friday before school started, Santos Espino-Reyes got the call he had been waiting for — a slot had opened up at Charlotte Engineering Early College — and just like that, his time on the waiting list with 190 others was over.
It was a dream come true for Espino-Reyes, 14, who aspires to be a mechanical engineer and some day work inside Apple’s camera division.
“Engineering in the world is basically everything,” he said. “So when I heard that we would be learning the principles of engineering, I thought, OK, that’ll be a pretty good start for me.”
CEEC is not for teenagers looking for the typical high school experience. There are no lockers, no sports, no arts programs, no cafeteria, no gym and no school dances.
And yet there’s a waiting list. Last year, 500 students applied through a lottery for the 100 freshmen spaces available, with just fewer than 200 deciding it was worth a shot to be added to the waiting list. Espino-Reyes was the last student plucked off that list for the inaugural year.
The school’s 2015-16 freshman class has a waiting list with 350 prospective students.
“The interest is there,” said Charlotte Engineering Early College Principal William Leach.
CEEC is the first early college high school of its kind for Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, and a joint venture between the school district, UNC Charlotte, and NC New Schools.
The five-year program focuses on STEM courses, with particular emphasis on engineering and sustainability. The school’s building is nestled on the UNC Charlotte campus, close to its Energy Production & Infrastructure Center.
Students will take 24 high school credits in their first two years, then switch to college-based courses, if they’re ready, earning up to 60 college-level credits during their final three years, tuition-free…
