Dare County Schools

Dare County Schools serves about 4,968 students across 11 schools on North Carolina's Outer Banks — 5 elementary schools, 2 middle schools, 4 high-school-level schools, and 1 combined 6–12 secondary school — and ranks 78th of 246 districts statewide with 3 stars. The strongest performers are concentrated in the northern part of the county: First Flight High School is the district's top high school, ranking at the 81st percentile with 4 stars; First Flight Middle School ranks at the 84th percentile; and Kitty Hawk Elementary School sits at the 87th percentile. By contrast, Dare Learning Academy, an alternative program with roughly 39 students, is the district's lowest-ranked high school.

Academically, the district is strongest at the secondary level. High school EOC proficiency averages about 72.5%, well above the state's 58.5%, while middle school EOG proficiency averages 64.7% versus 57.7% statewide. Elementary schools are the relative weak spot, averaging 59.7% versus 61.0% in North Carolina. Chronic absenteeism is a notable district-wide concern at 32.3%, compared with 24.2% statewide; Manteo High School has the highest rate at 51.0%, and even high-performing First Flight High School is at 33.8%. Poverty also varies widely, from 23.2% free/reduced-price lunch at Kitty Hawk Elementary School to more than 99% at Cape Hatteras Secondary School.

Cape Hatteras Secondary School is one of the district's most encouraging stories, climbing from the 32nd percentile in 2023–2024 to the 57th percentile in 2025–2026 despite 99.18% poverty; its Math I proficiency jumped from 30.8% to 68.2%. Schools needing attention include Manteo Elementary School and Cape Hatteras Elementary School, both near the 34th–35th percentile with 2-star ratings, as well as Dare Learning Academy, whose 78.8% graduation rate trails the state's 88.8%. Parents should also note that small enrollments at schools like Cape Hatteras Elementary School can produce volatile results — 3rd-grade math proficiency is just 26.1%, while 5th-grade math reaches 75.7% — so multi-year trends are more reliable than single-year snapshots.