Northampton County Public Schools will welcome students for the start of the 2016-17 academic year on Monday, Aug. 29.

As the new school year begins, NCPS officials issued information concerning some of the changes implemented for 2016-17.

As earlier reported, Northampton County High School has closed its Creeksville campus and moved to 152 Hurricane Drive in Gaston (formerly known as Gaston Middle School) The high school will still accommodate grades 9-12.

Northampton County High School will launch its new College & Career Academies; offering students choice aligned with being future ready. All academies are tied to credentials/ certifications and can lead to paid internships. Two of those academies, NAF Academy of Engineering and NAF Academy of Information Technology are nationally affiliated with the National Academy Foundation.

NCPS will also offer students the opportunity to attend Northampton County High School Early College, located at 4671 Hwy. 46 West in Gaston. The Early College will begin with students in grades 9 – 11 for the 2016-2017 school year.

Northampton County Schools has also opened the Squire Academic Center (formerly known as Squire Elementary School) and it is located at 4671 Hwy. 46 West in Gaston. In addition to the Early College High School, Squire Academic Center will also be home to Gaston Primary School (grades Pre-K – 1st) and the Northampton County Alternative Program.

With the movement of the high school to the former location of Gaston Middle School means that middle school aged students (grades 5-8) from the western end of the county will move to the campus of Gaston Elementary School. Both the middle school and elementary school (grades 2-4) will be located on the same campus at 400 Broughton Street in Gaston, but they will operate as two separate schools. They will be located at 400 Broughton Street in Gaston.

All other NCPS will remain in the same locations as last year as follows:

Central Elementary School in Jackson (grades Pre-K – 4th);

Willis Hare Elementary School in Pendleton (grades Pre-K – 4th): and

Conway Middle School (grades 5-8).

NCPS officials remind parents/guardians that Pre-Kindergarten students will begin staggered enrollment on Sept. 1, 2 and 6. The first full day for all Pre-K students will be Sept. 7. Teachers will contact parents to schedule a home visit during the week of Aug. 22. Required home visits will take place between Aug. 29-31.

As another reminder, NCPS officials stated that some schools will be operating on different start times and ending times this school year. The school times are as follows:

Northampton County High School – 8:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.

Northampton County High School Early College – 8:40 a.m. – 3:15 p.m.

Northampton County Alternative Program – 8:40 a.m. – 3:15 p.m.

Gaston Middle School – 8:15 a.m. – 3:25 p.m. (for 7-8 grader)

Gaston Middle School – 8 a.m. – 3:20 p.m. (for 5-6 grades)

Conway Middle School – 8 a.m. – 3 p.m. (for 5-8 grades)

Central Elementary School – 8 a.m. – 3:20 p.m. (for 1-4 grades)

Gaston Elementary School – 8 a.m. – 3:20 p.m. (for 2-4 grades)

Gaston Elementary School – 8:15 a.m. – 3:10 p.m. (for Pre-K – 1st grades)

Willis Hare Elementary School – 8 a.m. – 3:20 p.m. for 1-4 grades).

NCPS has announced its schedule of Open House events at each school. They are as follows:

Northampton County High School, 2-5 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 25;

Gaston Middle School, 2-6 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 25;

Central Elementary School, 2-6 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 25;

Willis Hare Elementary School, 4-6 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 25; and

Conway Middle School, 4-6 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 26.