Update~Let's talk about the history of New Century Technology High School

Update:  Mack Lyons and Geek Palaver  blog on this subject, and more.

With all the talk of the history and heritage of Lee High School, the history and heritage of New Century Technology High School is unheard.

New Century Technology High School  is the brain child of former and founding principal Edith Washington Humphrey

New Century offers all the core curriculum that the other Huntsville high schools offer including advanced classes and advanced placement classes for seniors. In addition, students attending NCTHS take at least two technology electives per year. These classes provide students with knowledge and hands-on experience in their chosen technological career field.

Here's the rub , New Century is a magnet program/ choice school... as such, you can live anywhere in the HCS district in order to be eligible to apply for admission, but admission is not guaranteed. New Century does not have a specific zone.

New Century started out on Wynn Drive Campus of Calhoun Community College which was supposed to be a temporary home until it got it's own building, which never materialized because city leaders built Colombia High School instead. Stay with me.

The school system is under a DoJ desegregation order, which means they have to have DoJ approval before new schools are built/opened. In order to get clearance the school system led the DoJ to believe Colombia would be New Century...a school of choice.

HUNTSVILLE, AL -- Five years ago, when New Century Technology High School switched locations, school leaders figured the move wouldn't be permanent.
Now, because of crowding at the shared Columbia High School campus, the city school board is talking about finding New Century a new home, but it's uncertain where.
New Century, whose students take high-tech classes in preparation for a tech-centered career, has about 300 students. The campus, nestled in Cummings Research Park, serves 957 students in a building designed for 800. School leaders expect Columbia will grow along with development in west Huntsville.

No, school leaders used New Century Technology school to build a new school for those parents who did not want to send their students to Butler High School

Butler High School is shrinking, but not because families are moving out of town.
Instead, this summer Butler High School saw roughly one in five students approved to transfer to another school. With just 622 students now, Butler fills about 30 percent of its available space.

al.com commenter jaguarblue keeps it real

That great sucking sound of students leaving was created by a school board some years ago to appease the Generals of Redstone Arsenal. They said that opening Columbia would have no affect on Butler, Dah! It only took common sense to know that the inevitable would happen. Go figure, Its a longer bus ride from Redstone to Columbia than to Butler. Even still Westlawn Middle is essentially right outside of the gates of the Arsenal and the middle schoolers of Redstone are bused to Williams Middle which is a longer ride, not to forget that Morris Elementary is just around the corner along with Ridgecrest. Thanks goes out to Loretta Spencer, Glenn Watson, and our school board officials at that time, some whom still serve.

There shouldn't be a merger between New Century and Lee High. Colombia should be New Century.

No, everyone complaining about Lee's loss of identity is ignoring the fact that New Century has a stellar reputation and has never been anything but USED by the former superintendent. New Century has to lose the only thing it has, it's name, and your suggesting New Lee High is an insult to them.

It is insulting at best, duplicitous at worst. New Century Technology High School should be a shining example of educational, innovation, diversity and progress,not treated like the step child at the family reunion. We need more NCTHS and fewer Lee High Schools.