Rocky Mount has an edge on education. A string of capital improvements and a couple of brand-new facilities are making the educational opportunities in the area a force to be reckoned with.

Breaking Ground

Two of the area’s high schools are opening new doors: Faith Christian School in 2011 and Rocky Mount High School in 2012.

“This will be a great asset to the city,” says Mark Strickland, special assistant to auxiliary services for Rocky Mount High School. “In addition to numerous other improvements, the community now has the opportunity to promote this brand-new school, which we hope will be a great draw.”

A new facility for Faith Christian School solidifies the message that providing quality learning environments for students is a priority for area residents, across both the public and private education sectors.

“We want to have a positive impact on the community. I don’t look at us as competing with other schools, I see us as partnering with them,” says Edward Bunn, headmaster of Faith Christian School.

Getting Technical

Some of the most exciting additions to both the new and old school buildings are improvements in technology. 

“Our system is really technology intensive,” Strickland says, “and it’s state-of-the-art in terms of energy efficiency.”

The new Rocky Mount High School is pursuing a LEED gold certification, employing a geothermal well system for heating and cooling and relying heavily on day-lighting, according to Strickland.

In terms of technology, both the high school and the new Faith Christian School facility will feature impressive upgrades, including interactive whiteboards. FCA will have LCD screens throughout the hallways posting information to students, from game reminders to club sign-ups.

“Wherever we can integrate technology, we are. It becomes a tool in relating to kids because it’s such a big aspect of their life,” Bunn says.

Also on the technology front, the independent, college preparatory school Rocky Mount Academy successfully completed Phase 1 of its its EDGE (Engaging the Digital Generation in Education) initiative. So far, the program has raised over $210,000 to fund equipment and professional development that provides teachers with additional tools to educate all students in grades PK-12, including 44 laptops for teachers, 35 interactive data projectors for classrooms, four desktop computers for every PK-5 classroom, an iPad mobile lab and more. Phase 2 aims  to equip every student in grades six through 12 with an Lenovo ThinkPad for the 2012-2013 school year.

Modern Outlook

These educational advances fall perfectly in line with those being made throughout the entire Rocky Mount area, Strickland says.

“It’s another jewel in the crown for the city, in terms of what the city’s been trying to do to upgrade amenities and aesthetics. The curriculum will be as good as ever, but now it’ll be housed in a space that is more in keeping with the quality of those programs.”