New North Carolina School Campus to Integrate Data Science

By Roxanne Squires

MORGANTON, N.C. — A groundbreaking ceremony has been scheduled for June 21, 2019 for the western branch of the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics (NCSSM), according to the News Herald.

NCSSM is in the process of finding commissioning services for its new, roughly 211,000-square-foot campus and will include both renovation of buildings currently located on the property as well as new construction, according to information from the UNC system.

The school plans to integrate data science throughout its general curriculum to better prepare and embolden scientists, engineers and entrepreneurs to understand how to use it in business decisions.

The announcement of the integration of data science into the new program coincides with the latest installment in an ongoing series of events hosted around the state to engage the public and potential partners in conversation about the concept of data science and the way data is driving business, finance, renewable energy, technology and the future of education, according to the school’s release.

NCSSM graduates have been among the experts, business leaders and entrepreneurs enlisted for panel discussions, and the public response to the series has shown a high level of public interest in the plans for the Morganton campus, the release from the school stated.

The budget is projected to cost up to $73 million as the school continues to raise money to support the campus.

“The demand for data-savvy professionals has never been greater, yet we lack a pipeline of young people who understand the art of using big data to make the best decisions,” Brooks Raiford, president & CEO of NC Tech Association, said in the release. “NCSSM’s new campus in Morganton puts North Carolina at the forefront of educating the next generation of local, state, and global leaders who are data-literate, no matter their field. This will help fill the pipeline with scientists, engineers, innovators, and entrepreneurs that will bring a competitive advantage to North Carolina.”

NCSSM is a two-year, public residential high school located in Durham, N.C. that focuses on the intensive study of science, mathematics and technology.

The school is scheduled to open in 2021.

Reports from the News Herald and NCSSM contributed to this story.