Hiwassee Dam High School

Hiwassee Dam High School (HDHS) in Murphy, North Carolina serves grades 9–12 and is one of three high schools in Cherokee County Schools. It is the westernmost public school in the state of North Carolina. As of 2007 it had a full-time teaching staff of 20 teachers giving an average of 11 students per teacher. Enrollment is 147 students. The school's capacity is 361 students.

History
Hiwassee Dam School started as a public school in Cherokee County in fall 1939. It began in buildings used by the Tennessee Valley Authority during the construction of Hiwassee Dam. Four schools, Reid Chapel, Hill, Postell, and Shearer, were consolidated to create Hiwassee Dam School. During its first year in operation, there were 312 students and eight teachers. N. O. Kilpatrick was the first principal. High school classes were not taught until fall 1940.

In the mid-1940s, Clark School was consolidated into Hiwassee Dam School. Around 1954, Violet School was consolidated with Hiwassee Dam. In fall 1956, Hiwassee Dam School moved into a new 22-classroom building. The new building provided space for Friendship Elementary School to consolidate with Hiwassee Dam and for Ranger Elementary School students to attend high school at Hiwassee Dam. At that time the school had 21 teachers and 570 students.

In May 2020, the Cherokee County Board of Education voted to consolidate Andrews, Murphy, and Hiwassee Dam High Schools. A $50 million state grant was given to the school system in September 2022 to accomplish this goal. After public outcry, in January 2023 new members of the Cherokee County Board of Education voted to return the money to the state rather than move forward with the consolidation.

Awards & Distinctions
As of 2023, HDHS had the highest graduation rate of any high school in the county – 97 percent.

Principals

 * 1) N.O. Kilpatrick (1939–1940)
 * 2) Bascom D. Carroll (1940–1941)
 * 3) Harvey H. Ferguson (1941–1943)
 * 4) Walter B. Thomas  (1943–1947)
 * 5) James T. Osborne (1947–1953)
 * 6) Hal M. Hale (1953–1955)
 * 7) Harest E. King (1955–?)
 * 8) Daniel McNabb (–Present)