Inside Carolina Collegiate High School, students are now learning during its inaugural academic year in Durham, North Carolina.
Through a partnership with Carolina Collegiate, Civic Builders and Great Schools North Carolina help launch an expanding public charter high school in the Triangle
Bringing a new school to life takes vision, courage and collaboration. We’re proud that our first project in North Carolina reflects that kind of shared commitment.”— David Umansky, CEO and Co-Founder, Civic Builders
Carolina Collegiate High School officially welcomed its first class this fall, marking the launch of a new STEM-focused public charter high school in Durham. This achievement resulted from a partnership involving the school’s founders, Great Schools North Carolina (GSNC) and Civic Builders.
The collaboration combined the distinct assets needed to establish and expand a new school: Carolina Collegiate’s founders brought an ambitious academic vision, GSNC provided early-stage investment and leadership support, and Civic Builders contributed real estate expertise and capital to create a facility that can scale with the school.
A ribbon-cutting ceremony on Oct. 6 at Carolina Collegiate’s Durham campus will formally commemorate the milestone. The event will honor the students, families, educators, community members and partners who turned the school from an idea into reality during its first academic year.
Carolina Collegiate was founded to increase access to globally competitive STEM education for students throughout the region. The school launched with a ninth-grade class and will add one grade annually, eventually serving roughly 600 students in grades 9-12 at full capacity. Its educational model prioritizes rigorous academics, innovative teaching and learning, and a student body that reflects the diversity of the communities it serves.
GSNC provided early support to Carolina Collegiate’s founders through its Startup Grant, which offers startup funding and strategic guidance to promising education leaders and schools across North Carolina. This assistance helped the school move from concept toward opening.
“Opening a new public school takes more than a great vision,” said Madeline Hannigan, executive director of Great Schools North Carolina. “It takes the resources and persistence to turn that vision into a high-quality, sustainable school that families can trust and students can thrive in. We’re proud to have played a part in helping Carolina Collegiate reach this moment and expand access to another high-quality public school option for families in Durham.”
As Carolina Collegiate prepared to open, Civic Builders teamed up with GSNC and the school to tackle one of the biggest obstacles new charter schools face: securing a high-quality, financially sustainable facility that supports long-term growth.
Civic Builders purchased the property at 100 Capitola Drive and is overseeing a nearly $13.8 million, multiphase renovation and adaptive reuse of the former three-story, 65,568-square-foot office building into Carolina Collegiate’s permanent campus. The first phase was finished in time for the 2026-27 school year, with further renovations scheduled over the next two years as the school adds grades and enrollment. Civic’s turnkey development structure also gives Carolina Collegiate a pathway to eventually buy the facility.
This project is Civic Builders’ first school development in North Carolina, extending the nonprofit’s mission to eliminate real estate barriers for mission-driven public charter schools.
“Carolina Collegiate’s founders had a compelling idea for students in the Triangle, and Great Schools North Carolina backed it early. Civic was able to bring the real estate and capital expertise needed to help move it across the finish line,” said David Umansky, co-founder and CEO of Civic Builders. “Bringing a new school to life takes vision, courage and collaboration. We’re proud that our first project in North Carolina reflects that kind of shared commitment, and even more proud to see students learning here today.”
For Carolina Collegiate’s founding team, the opening is the culmination of years spent designing a school around what students will need to thrive in college, careers and a rapidly evolving world.
“For years, Carolina Collegiate existed as an idea of what high school could be for students in this community,” said Joey Webb, co-founder and executive director of Carolina Collegiate High School. “Now, we get to walk these halls and see our founding students learning, building relationships and beginning to make this school their own. Great Schools North Carolina believed in what we were building early, and Civic Builders helped us create a permanent home where it can grow. Most of all, I’m excited about what this school and this campus will make possible for our students in the years ahead.”
Durham-based Self-Help Credit Union provided financing for the project, supporting the phased renovation of the campus. The project team also includes DTW Architects & Planners Ltd.; JD Beam Inc.; Edmundson Engineers; and Morningstar Law Group.
Together, Carolina Collegiate, Great Schools North Carolina, Civic Builders and the project’s financing and development partners have built a foundation designed not just for the school’s first year, but for its growth in the years to come.
About Civic Builders:
Civic Builders is the nation’s leading nonprofit lender and developer of public charter schools. Since 2002, the organization has invested more than $2.2 billion into over 100 schools, bringing high-quality educational opportunities to more than 55,000 students annually. For more information about Civic Builders, visit civicbuilders.org or follow along on LinkedIn and Instagram.
About GSNC:
Great Schools North Carolina (GSNC) works to ensure that every family in North Carolina has access to high-quality public schools that fit their child’s needs. Families want their children to grow into confident, capable adults with fulfilling lives, but too often, the public school options available to them do not reflect how differently children learn or what families need to thrive. GSNC helps bridge that gap by supporting school leaders and strengthening the conditions that make great public education options possible.
As a grantmaking organization and strategic partner, GSNC invests in school leaders and removes barriers that limit school quality and sustainability, helping bring strong public school options within reach for more families across the state, especially those who have historically had limited access. By supporting leadership, building capacity and aligning partners and policymakers around what works for students, GSNC plays a critical role in strengthening the public school ecosystem so that more excellent options are available, and schools have the resources they need to deliver strong, consistent learning experiences for students. Learn more at greatschoolsnc.org.
Media Contacts:
Civic Builders – Amber Roussel Cavallo, cavallo@civicbuilders.org
Great Schools North Carolina – Phylicia King, phylicia.king@smjcomms.com
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Amber Roussel Cavallo
Civic Builders
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