Special meeting, public comment session on Dare Early College set for July 10
The Dare County Board of Education and Dare County Board of Commissioners will hold a special joint meeting and public comment session on the Dare Early College that has been proposed to open in August 2025.
The meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, July 10, at at 5 p.m. at First Flight High School in Kill Devil Hills.
Early colleges allow students to earn both a high school diploma and an associate degree at the same time, as they take classes that are taught both at the early college and through a community college.
Dare is one of just 17 counties in the state without an early college. Currituck, Camden, Pasquotank, Tyrrell, Washington, and Hyde counties all have early colleges located in their districts.
If approved, classes would begin at the former College of the Albemarle campus on Russell Twiford Road in Manteo with around 50 students.
At the same time, a building to accommodate up to 300 students would be constructed adjacent to the current COA-Dare campus along U.S. 64 for an estimated $25 million.
However, several people spoke against the proposal at the June meeting of the Dare County Board of Commissioners. Some also expressed concerns that the community had not been presented enough information about the proposed Early College.
Dare County Schools Superintendent Steve Basnight and Dare County Board of Education Chairman David Twiddy pushed back on the assertions about a lack of public information.
Five parent and student informational meetings were held in April and May about the proposal, and discussions about creating an Early College date back as far as 2019 with parent advisory panels and student focus groups.
Board of Commissioners Chairman Bob Woodard last month suggested a town hall meeting be held as soon as possible.
The boards said they will provide information on the Early College at the July 10 joint meeting, and they will allow the public to make comments on the proposal.
