School board, commissioners hold public hearing on Dare Early College
The Dare County Board of Education and Dare County Board of Commissioners held a special joint meeting and public comment session on Wednesday about the Dare Early College that has been proposed to open in August 2025.
Early colleges allow students to earn both a high school diploma and an associate’s 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.
A vote on allocating $25 million to the project was tabled at the June commissioners meeting, with Chairman Bob Woodard last month suggesting the town hall meeting that took place Wednesday.
The first hour of the meeting included a presentation by Basnight on the benefits of the early college program, speaking from his experience as the first principal at Knapp Early College in Currituck, and then as superintendent when Hyde County School opened their early college.
He again refuted claims by community members made at last month’s commissioners meeting, and on social media, about how the early college pulling away students, teachers and staff from other schools could have a negative impact; concerns over spending on capital projects and repairs at existing schools; specifically addressed the condition of Cape Hatteras Secondary School; and other points.
That was followed by a comment session by members of the public, with the vast majority saying they were in favor of the early college proposal.
Members of both the Board of Education and Board of Commissioners concluded the meeting by giving their thoughts on the proposal, and responded to some of public comments.
A final decision on whether to proceed with the Early College so it can open in August 2025 will need to be made by September at the latest, according to County Manager Bobby Outten.
