Pinehurst Today

Moore County Schools (MCS) and Sandhills Community College have designed a new program to help home-schoolers create a personalized high school experience based on their needs. 

The “blend+ed” program was created by Moore County Schools to allow students from Union Pines, Pinecrest, and North Moore to gain access to a curriculum and extracurricular activities offered both in-person and online, a post on MooreAlive.com reported on June 25. An assigned guidance counselor will help personalize activities fit for the students’ needs and will also assist with everything from tours to enrollment in technical and career programs. 

Enrollment in the blend+ed program is free, as in any public school. But in order to access online classes, Chromebooks are available for $25, a post on MooreAlive.com reported. A student will be considered full-time if he/she is enrolled through the program in at least two courses per semester.

The partnership with Sandhills Community College can allow students enrolled in the blend+ed program to dual-enroll and earn college credits via their Career and College Promise Program, which offers college math, science, social science and English, a post on MooreAlive.com reported. 

The Workforce Continuing Education Career and College Promise Program is available in addition to curriculum classes, a post on MooreAlive.com reported. This will give students access to programs such as construction, allied health, advanced manufacturing, firefighter training and automotive services. 

“This is a great way for students to get the professional certifications that they need in the form of college courses,” Sandhills Community College President John Dempsey said, a post on MooreAlive.com reported. “If they want to use them to transfer they can do that, or they can go right to work. It’s a real opportunity for kids to have a leg up on a genuine career by the time they turn 18.”