Early Colleges are still restricted by county lines....some counties may have a transfer policy that allows any student in the county to apply to go any school in the county, but still everyone would be under the jurisdiction of that LEA...exceptions or caveats would be when a student lives outside the county/LEA but has a parent that works there but lives outside the district lines, or could otherwise qualify for residency, depending on how strict or loose an LEA is with its regulations (rental properties inside the district lines maybe...or switching parental custody to someone in a different place....or physically moving)....there are many ways it happens within the rules....I do not know for sure but I can't help but wonder if Tri-County Early College is treated differently, not only because it does have sports, but because they seem to be a compilation of three LEAs, which does seem more like most of the charter schools....I'm assuming that students must live (or have some type of residency established) in one of the three counties represented there?
Yeah for as I understand it you do have to live in one of the three counties to go the Tri-county just like Maryland Early College you have to live in Avery , Mitchell or Yancey to go there.
As far NCHSAA transfer policy:
"5. TRANSFER POLICY: After initial entry into the ninth grade, and absent a bona fide move as provided in the Residence section in this Handbook: (a) a student transferring from one member school to another member school within the same LEA must sit out 365 days for athletic participation. The LEA may create criteria for immediate athletic eligibility for transfers within the LEA. (b) A student transferring from one member school in one LEA to another member school in a different LEA must sit out 365 days for athletic participation. Exceptions for immediate athletic eligibility for transfers from one LEA to a different LEA will be heard by a special NCHSAA transfer committee. NOTE: If a member school is not part of a defined LEA (e.g., charter school, non-boarding parochial school, etc.), then the member school itself will be considered its own LEA for purposes of this policy (i.e., exceptions involving these member schools will fall under subsection (b) above)."