Helping Build The Future of the Blue Ridge...

Thank you for logging into our newly designed website highlighting the work and service of the Foundation’s Mission to provide supplemental educational funding to Blue Ridge School and Early College (Pre-K through 12) with an optional 13th year for advanced college credits. We invite you to browse through the various tabs of the site to review the funding grants made to the school supporting “under budgeted” needs of the administration and faculty for the advanced academic achievement of students.

The Foundation was founded in 2002 and was issued a determination letter from the Internal Revenue Service in December 2010 recognizing Blue Ridge School Education Foundation Incorporated as tax-exempt under Internal Revenue Code (IRC) Section 501(C)3. The Foundation is administered by a totally volunteer board of directors who are elected based on their experience with children and commitment to better public schooling. Funding for grants awarded to the school come from proceeds of the Annual Nashville Songwriters’ Round and from generous corporate and individual donors who support our mission.

We appreciate your taking a few minutes to review the site and encourage you to support the Foundation’s efforts to expand the educational experiences for the students and staff in order to achieve and maintain a world class education environment at Blue Ridge School AND Blue Ridge Early College.

Sincerely,

Carl O. Hyde
PresidentH

About The JCPS Superintendent

Dr. Dana Ayers began her educational career in 1999 at Battleground Elementary School in Lincolnton, NC where she taught 1st, 4th, and 5th grades. In 2005, she moved to Lincolnton Middle School where she taught 6th grade math and science.

Dr. Ayers transitioned to school administration at West Lincoln Middle School where she served as Assistant Principal of Instruction from 2010 to 2014. She then became Principal at Lincolnton Middle School and was named Principal of the Year in 2017.

After relocating to Jackson County in 2018, Dr. Ayers was hired by Asheville City Schools as Chief Academic Officer. She commuted to Asheville until June 2021 when she became Superintendent of Jackson County Public Schools.

Dr. Ayers received her Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education from Belmont Abbey College in 1999. She was awarded a Master of Arts Degree in School Administration in 2008 and AIG licensure in 2009 both from WCU. In 2016, she completed her Doctorate in Educational Leadership at UNC Charlotte.

In her personal life, Dr. Ayers prioritizes faith, family, and community. She has participated in many service projects with organizations such as Habitat for Humanity, Salvation Army, and Samaritan’s Purse. She has volunteered at homeless shelters, served as a team captain for Relay for Life, and collected food for various ministries. Dr. Ayers and her family are also active supporters of WCU athletics.

Dr. Nathan Frizzell, BRSEC Principal
MA, M.Ed., Ed.S., Ed.D.

Nathan Frizzell of Cullowhee, NC, youngest of seven children. Growing up in Jackson County, some of his favorite activities included camping, playing baseball, basketball, and football, swimming, gardening, running and fishing. Success in school came easily to Nathan even through college and has always been a source of enjoyment. He considers himself a life-long learner. In search of challenges, he decided to join the U.S. Army, where he spent time at Fort Leonard Wood, MS, Fort Bragg, NC, and Fort McClellan, A.L. until he joined the NC National Guard in Flat Rock, North Carolina.

Upon returning to Sylva, NC, Nathan unexpectedly found a teaching position in Transylvania County in a combination high school and middle grades education.  He spent ten years as a teacher at Rosman Middle and High School and the next ten years in Jackson County Public Schools at Fairview School and Cullowhee Valley school. Nathan served three years as lead teacher and assistant principal at Fairview School and six years as the principal of Cullowhee Valley School before leaving education to become the Project Manager for 35 Western North Carolina counties in the behavioral health field in August 2011. Nathan returned to education in 2015 in Swain County before returning to serve JCPS in 2017 where he taught at Smoky Mountain High School and fulfilled a childhood dream of coaching high school athletics at his alma mater, cross country and baseball. Nathan greatly enjoyed working with all of the individuals at Smoky Mountain High School and has for the last year been the principal of Blue Ridge Early College. Nathan believes that every day is a blessing to get the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of children and young adults.

Nathan and his wife Jill have been married for 23 years. They have four children and one grandchild. He enjoys traveling, running, reading, and spending time with family and friends. Nathan enjoys teaching and sharing history and stories, especially those involving family and local history. He also loves watching movies about historical events, visiting historical sites and hopes to write a historical novel.

LEARN MORE »

From The BREC Principal

Blue Ridge Early College (BREC) has a long history of providing quality educational opportunities for students within our strong community. We are a member of the North Carolina Cooperative Innovative High Schools Network. Students have the flexibility of taking Southwestern Community College (SCC) courses while at Blue Ridge Early College to complete an Associates degree, or take SCC courses to obtain a workforce certificate, all while completing high school classes for a high school diploma.

We are proud to be one of the few schools across North Carolina to provide the vocational preparation for the NIMS certification for Public Safety and the Fire Fighter Technology program. This program is sanctioned by the North Carolina Office of the State Fire Marshall. Our partnership with the Glenville-Cashiers Fire Department is dedicated to helping us make our program a success.

Several years ago, Jackson County Public Schools introduced a 1:1 Initiative that provided laptops to all teachers and students in grades 7-13. This allows for individualized learning and access to collaboration that mirrors the workplace landscape that our students will be entering. Our ability to match the digital resources with our content standards is invaluable.

The Blue Ridge School Educational Foundation has been instrumental in supporting our students through grants that elevate the teaching and learning experience for our teachers and students. With its support, we have been able to increase our media and technology resources, host an Artist in Residence, grant scholarships for extracurricular educational opportunities, and much more.

Blue Ridge Early College continues to maintain a high graduation rate with greater than 95% of students graduating. Last year, Blue Ridge Early College graduates received thousands of dollars in scholarships coming directly from the Blue Ridge School Education Foundation. The Foundation also annually hosts our Academic Banquet and Scholarship Night to celebrate our talented students.

Our entire team is dedicated to our students, the ideals that support the whole child and the community of those who are invested in their development. Our team participates in a variety of activities such as Stop the Bleed and Resiliency Training to ensure that our campus is a safe and engaging environment for all students. Each day BREC provides students a small, collaborative atmosphere for learning. Our schools should be rooted in the new three Rs of education: Rigor, Relationships, and Relevance. As we maintain focus on these, BREC will remain the best choice for students! I appreciate everyone who is a part of our BREC family. Go Bobcats!

- Brandon Pendergast, Principal, Blue Ridge Early College

"Southwestern Community College is proud to offer all Blue Ridge Early College students an opportunity to complete up to two years of college credit - up to and possibly including associate degrees - at the same time as they earn their high school diplomas."

- Dr. Don Tomas, President, Southwestern Community College