Mountain Youth School (MYS) is one of a very small group of alternative schools set up by the state of North Carolina for students that would benefit in an alternative classroom setting. It is located in Murphy, North Carolina and serves grades 6–12. It is the only alternative school operated by the Cherokee County Schools. As of 2007 it had an active enrollment of 43 students and a full-time teaching staff of 8 teachers giving an average of 5 students per teacher.