Research Triangle High School
| Research Triangle High School | |
|---|---|
| File:RTHS Campus.jpg | |
| Location | |
| 3106 East N.C. Highway 54 Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27709 United States |
|
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| Information | |
| Type | Secondary Charter |
| Established | 2012 |
| Locale | Urban |
| Chief School Officer | Eric Grunden |
| Grades | 9-12 |
| Number of students | 450 |
| Color(s) | Forest green and silver |
| Mascot | Raptors |
| Website | researchtrianglehighschool.org |
The Research Triangle High School, commonly abbreviated RTHS, is a charter school designed around a STEM focus located in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina. The school opened in August 2012 with an initial class of 160 freshmen, and now enrolls 450 students in grades 9-12.
Contents
Curriculum
Research Triangle High School's curriculum is aligned with the Common Core State Standards Initiative and the North Carolina Essential Standards. All teachers at the school implement the Flipped Classroom method of recording lectures to be viewed by students outside of class, allowing for more hands-on instruction during class time.
RTHS offers Advanced Placement courses in Biology, Calculus, Chemistry, Environmental Science, European History, English Language and Composition, English Literature and Composition, Statistics, United States History, and World History. A special honors level Civics and Economics class offered in the 12th grade prepares students to take the AP U.S. Government and Politics exam.
Athletics
RTHS' athletics programs are known as the Raptors, and they compete in the 1A classification of the North Carolina High School Athletic Association. RTHS began play in the North Central Athletic Conference, a 1A conference comprising only Triangle-area charter schools, in the fall of 2014.
RTHS fields teams in boys' and girls' cross country, boys' and girls' soccer, boys' and girls' basketball, boys' and girls' track and field, boys' and girls' tennis, girls' volleyball, and cheerleading. With no athletic facilities on campus, RTHS partners with local organizations such as the Town of Cary, the Town of Morrisville, and Hoops City U for practice and event space.
The most successful athletic program in RTHS's short history has been the boys' cross country team, which won back-to-back 1A mideast regional championships en route to state runner-up finishes in 2013 and 2014. The boys' track team placed 3rd in the 1A state track meet in 2015, with the 4x800m relay team winning RTHS's first-ever state title in any sport.
Controversy
The Durham County School Board and the Durham City Council had both previously voted to oppose the charter, citing concerns of lower-income accessibility.[1] Proponents of the high school, however, explained that the school plans to target the area's diversity of race, gender, and economic background.[2] A public forum held on 13 February 2012 allowed area residents to voice their opinions about the proposed charter. The response was generally positive.[3] Despite Durham Public Schools' opposition, the school's charter was approved by the North Carolina State Board of Education on 1 March 2012.[4]
