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Every school in the Dare County system achieved expected or exceeding expected academic work in the 2022-23 year.

Dare County Schools Superintendent Steve Basnight made the announcement at the Jan. 8, 2024 Dare Board of Education meeting. “This is not the norm,” intoned Basnight. He praised the work of instructional leaders, the 974 employees of the Dare County Schools system; each and every family member and the 5,016 students in grades pre-k through 12.

Notice of awards came from the state’s Department of Public Instruction, which makes it possible for all Dare County Schools to post appropriate logos on websites.

Accepting an award for making expected academic growth were principals for First Flight Elementary – Sara Fletcher; Nags Head Elementary – Kelly Flora; and First Flight High School – interim principal Denise Fallon.

Receiving awards for exceeding expected academic growth were Cape Hatteras Elementary – Rachel Benton; Cape Hatteras Secondary – Beth Rooks in absentia; First Flight Middle – Diane Childress; Kitty Hawk Elementary – Lisa Colvin; Manteo Elementary – Curtis Price; Manteo High – John Luciano; and Manteo Middle – Tami Harper.

Continuing with congratulations, Basnight saluted Ralph Cleaver, the girls soccer coach at Manteo High School, for receiving the prestigious National Federation of State High School Associations 2022-23 NC Girls Soccer Coach of the Year. His leadership played a pivotal role in guiding the team to a state championship victory last spring.

Similarly, Basnight honored Juan Ramirez, the boys soccer coach at First Flight High School, who was tapped as the United Soccer Coaches Association’s Mid-Atlantic Coach of the Year following his team’s triumphant state championship win and remarkable season this fall.

Fourth grader Avia Thompson, a student at Manteo Elementary School, did something for her school over the winter break. She made the parking lot safer by cutting back overgrown trees and shrubs. The landscaping work revealed additional parking spaces. The Town of Manteo received thanks for removing the debris. Thompson received recognition from Basnight.

Director of secondary education and interim principal at First Flight High School Denise Fallon, along with Dawn Tillett, presented information about the new state k-12 science curriculum, approved in July 6, 2023.

Tillett will lead the district science team. This spring and summer the team will plan for standards alignment, develop pacing guides and common assessments and explore resources for science instruction.

Fallon said initially, the curriculum will be introduced in grade five, middle school and high school biology as those are the tested areas.

On the personnel consent agenda, the board approved three resignations, one termination, nine leaves of absence, three new hires and seven new substitutes.

Under the consent agenda for finance, the board approved budget amendments for Local Current Expense Fund, Capital Fund, and the After-School Enrichment Fund. “These amendments appropriate fund balance for encumbrances (spending commitments) that were outstanding at the end of fiscal year 2022-23,” states the agenda book.

The closed meeting was cancelled and the regular meeting at 5 p.m. was shortened due to the illness of the school board’s attorney. The second reading of five policies and one deletion was eliminated from the agenda.

Also eliminated was the first reading of new or revised policies about leave, family and medical leave, employee conflict of interest, daily deposits and participation by minority businesses.

The next regularly scheduled meeting of the Dare County Board of Education is set for Feb. 12, 2024 at 5 p.m., in the Commissioners Meeting Room of the Dare Administration Building, located at 954 Marshall C. Collins Dr. in Manteo.

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