FAQs

How do I get my child into Merancas Middle College High School?

Rising 11th and 12th grade students may apply for a seat at Merancas Middle College High School through the CMS School Choice lottery. Each CMS school will send home a letter to students in late November or early December with the student's assignment for next year and instructions for applying for a magnet seat through the lottery process. This year the lottery opens on December 6th and closes on January 21st and there will only be one lottery application period. There is no benefit to applying earlier in the window rather than near the end of the application period. Families will be notified of acceptance or “waitlist” status in early February. More information is available on the CMS School Choice website: https://cmschoice.org/your-choices/schools/.


What are my chances of getting a seat at Merancas if I am placed on the waitlist after the lottery?

We have 100 seats available for incoming 11th grade students. We typically have about 40-50 students from the lottery placed on the waitlist. Of those students, we usually pull in about half before the start of the school year as seats become available. We have limited seats available for incoming 12th grade students since most of our 11th grade students stay with us. However, we usually have only a handful who apply as 12th graders so our waitlist for 12th grade is short. 


How do we participate in the CMS lottery if we don’t currently attend a CMS school?

Complete CMS Future enrollment which is a formality where you prove residency to CMS. It is called "future enrollment" because it is for next school year and allows student placement to assign the student an ID number. It's not a commitment to attend CMS as much as making it possible for the student to participate in the CMS Choice Lottery. Please visit the CMS Student Placement website for an update on the new future enrollment process or call the Student Placement Office at 980-343-5335 for more information.


How is Merancas Middle College different from a traditional high school?

Since Merancas Middle College HS is a full magnet, our students come from all over Mecklenburg County. Each grade level in the middle college program is capped at 100 students, so our school is much smaller than a traditional high school. In addition, our students are dually enrolled with CMS and Central Piedmont Community College. Students have a blended schedule of CPCC college courses and CMS Honors or AP courses. Each student’s schedule is unique to the student. In addition, we follow a different CMS academic calendar from traditional CMS schools in order to align with the CPCC calendar.


What is the difference between dual enrollment (Career and College Promise) and the Middle College program?

Career & College Promise (CCP) is North Carolina's dual enrollment program for high school students. This program allows eligible NC high school students to enroll in college classes at North Carolina community colleges and universities through their high school. CCP students remain enrolled in their home high school and take courses at CPCC to complete a pathway.


Middle College High Schools (MCHS) are CMS Cooperative Innovative High Schools available on Central Piedmont's Cato, Levine, Harper, and Merancas campuses. Our students are enrolled in Merancas Middle College High School and report to our school daily for their CMS classes.

CCP students select pathways to enroll in while Middle College students can enroll in certificate, diploma, and degree programs. Middle College students have more classes available to them. Also, Middle College students have all books and required materials paid for, whereas CCP students receive a gift card for a set amount.


So my child is not at school for 7 hours a day . . . how does the schedule work?

Each middle college student has a unique schedule. Mornings are open for students to take CPCC classes. We have 3 blocks of CMS classes beginning at 11:20 and ending at 4:20. Students are free to come and go during the day as long as they attend all scheduled classes. While high school classes are offered from 11:20-4:20, college classes may be offered in the morning, afternoon, evenings, or on weekends depending on student needs and course offerings.

Students typically do not spend as much time in class as they would in a traditional high school but are expected to spend more time on schoolwork outside of class.  Also, many CPCC courses are hybrid, meaning they meet on campus but also have a portion of the class online.  Students need to be able to manage their time and work independently in order to be successful in this program.


What is Grade 13?

Students may stay a third year in Middle College High School and take additional college classes with the opportunity to complete an Associates Degree and/or Career/Industry Certification. This is an optional program that is open to students who are in good academic standing with CMS and CPCC and have met all graduation requirements. Students enroll in only CPCC classes and a CMS Middle College High School Seminar course during Grade 13. Students staying for Grade 13 do not graduate at the end of 12th grade but rather upon completion of their program.


What costs are involved with the Middle College program?

Tuition, fees, and textbooks are free for Middle College students. Students may enroll in optional summer session courses but will be responsible for any student fees or textbook fees (however, tuition will still be free).


Why is there a separate academic calendar for the Middle Colleges?

Middle Colleges in CMS follow a calendar more aligned to the CPCC calendar. We typically start school the first week in August, finish our first semester before winter break, have our spring break in March, and end the year before Memorial Day. We also have different teacher workdays and holidays than the traditional CMS calendar.


Is CMS transportation provided?

CMS transportation is not provided to middle college students. Our students drive to school, carpool with other students, get dropped off by a parent/guardian, or ride CATS transportation. We provide students with a free CATS bus pass if requested.


What kind of clubs or school events do you have?

Merancas Middle College students can participate in any CPCC club or activity as well as a wide variety of clubs unique to our high school. We have an active Student Government, National Honor Society, Black Student Union, Yearbook, Mu Alpha Theta Math Honor Society, Greenhouse Club, Media Club, STEAM Club, and many more! For more information about our clubs and student organizations, please visit https://sites.google.com/cms.k12.nc.us/clubsmmchs/home. We also host special events and activities for Merancas Middle College Students like our First Friday events, Fall festival, and prom.


What about sports?

Students may continue to participate in organized CMS-sponsored school sports, cheerleading, and marching band at their home high school. We will work with the student to not schedule a CMS third block class or CPCC class at the end of the day so he/she can return to their home school in the afternoon to participate in these activities.


How many classes will my child take?

Students are required to have a minimum of four classes each semester and at least one CPCC course each semester. Most 11th grade students will have two CMS classes each semester. Most 12th grade students will have one CMS class during their Senior year (English IV). Students may take up to 6-8 courses each semester with parent and counselor approval.


Will CPCC credits transfer to another college or 4-year university?

Most courses will transfer to all 4-year NC Public Universities. Private colleges and out-of-state colleges often have their own policies regarding transfer credits. Parents and students are encouraged to contact private schools and out-of-state institutions for course credit information.


How do CPCC courses affect a student’s GPA?

Students earn high school credit for CPCC classes that are 3 credit hours or more.  Most transferable classes are weighted 1 additional quality point in the high school GPA.  Most non-transferable courses are not weighted in the high school GPA.


What degree programs or certification programs are available through CPCC?

CPCC offers over 300 certificate, diploma, and degree options, and most are available to Middle College students. Middle College students are automatically enrolled into the Associate in Arts degree but can change programs of study to another transferable degree (Associate in Science degree or Associate in Engineering), or an Associate in Applied Science degree, certificate, or diploma that will prepare students with skills needed to enter a specific career.  You can view the programs of study available at CPCC here: CPCC Programs . *Note: Not all programs are offered at each campus.  While students can still enroll in the programs, they might need to attend classes on a different campus.


Will I be able to monitor my student’s grades and attendance in their CPCC classes?

No. Due to FERPA, CPCC does not share grades or attendance information with parents, and this information is not updated in PowerSchool until the end of each semester. CPCC is implementing a new alert system (Aviso) that will notify the middle college front office staff if a student is doing poorly in class or not attending. Students are expected to follow the attendance and grading policies detailed in each CPCC course syllabus.


What CMS/high school courses do you currently offer at MMCHS?

For the 2022-2023 school year we offer the following courses:

Math III, Precalculus, English III, English IV, Chemistry

Language & Composition, Literature & Composition, Calculus AB & BC, Environmental Science, Biology, Pre-Calculus