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Crowding likely to prompt new look at school lines
A class at Manteo Elementary. (Dare County Schools)
Superintendent of Schools Sue Burgess cautioned this week that there are no imminent plans to redraw the lines but that the school board would study the possibility further.
Manteo Elementary School has a population of 733 students, 140 children more than the building was built to house.
“It would require due consideration and careful planning,” Burgess said of any adjustment, adding that the district would not consider changing boundary lines during an academic year.
Nags Head Elementary is full as well, with a student population of 597 and a building capacity of 590.
“Obviously, Nags Head Elementary is not an empty school, either,” Burgess said. “And there are more students than we would like to see at Manteo Elementary School.”
According to the district’s population numbers, Kitty Hawk Elementary has the most room to take on more students, with a population of 437 and a building capacity of 590. First Flight Elementary, which consists primarily of Colington Island students and streets north of Airstrip Road, is under capacity by about 25 students.
If attendance lines were to be re-drawn, Burgess gave this potential scenario:
Roughly between 150 and 175 Kill Devil Hills students who currently attend Nags Head Elementary would be re-assigned to Kitty Hawk Elementary. The potential move would then free up space at Nags Head Elementary so that students from Manteo Elementary could transfer to Nags Head.
Faculty would also have to be moved with the students, Burgess added.
Several years ago, the board of education included in its Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) a building addition at Manteo Elementary to accommodate the growing student population. The board removed the project before it submitted its budget this past May because of the size of the district’s debt service.
While Nags Head students are transported over the Washington Baum Bridge to Manteo Middle and High schools, in previous years the board was not willing to move elementary school children across the bridge.
“But that was then and this is now,” the superintendent said.
While Manteo Elementary may be swelling beyond capacity, Burgess said the faculty is dealing well with it.
All special classes — art, music, Spanish, technology/media and physical education — are still being held in the designated classrooms. Some grades may have to eat lunch early or late in the day, but they also have a snack period either in the morning or the afternoon, depending on when they eat lunch.
“It’s tight,” Burgess said. “We either have to reduce the student body or build on.”
If attendance line were to be redrawn, the superintendent says that First Flight Elementary School would not likely be affected.
Kitty Hawk Elementary is well below capacity despite the need for several additional classes in the lower grades in the beginning of this school year, Burgess said.
The state Department of Public Instruction mandates that classes in kindergarten through third have no more than 24 students. Populations in those grades this year reached just above the mandated number by just a few students, requiring the district to create additional classes at that school.
| School | Current population | Capacity |
| First Flight Elementary | 385 (includes 31 Pre-K) | 410 |
| Kitty Hawk Elementary | 437 | 590 |
| Manteo Elementary | 733 (includes 36 Pre-K) | 590 |
| Nags Head Elementary | 597 (includes 36 PreK) | 590 |
| Cape Hatteras Elementary | 296 (includes 18 Pre-K) | 315 |
| Cape Hatteras Secondary | 289 | 485 |
| Manteo Middle | 379 | 450 |
| First Flight Middle | 624 | 700 |
| First Flight High | 805 | 810 |
| Manteo High | 469 | 625 |
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Jon says:
FFES gets streets north of Airstrip, not south.
KHer says:
So my guess would be that Wanchese students would be bussed to NHES. If you thought the big box store controversy on Roanoke Island was something, wait until they try that. Islanders will not want to go to “the beach” when there’s a school on the island.
I remember when my kids traveled from the beach to Manteo for years. Now the shoe’s going to be on the other foot. But, you do what you have to do.
Bob Samuels says:
What’s in the water in Manteo?
Jason says:
MES and NHES was built how long ago? And it’s already that much over capacity? That’s ridiculous!
ekim says:
Wait a sec,! didnt I just have a KH teacher just bust my chops claiming they just had to hire 3 NEW TEACHERS BECAUSE THEIR SO OVER LOADED! All these new schools all these MILLIONS of $$$$$ and we’er busting at the seams,Are there that many people MOVING IN DAILY???? Poor Planning,
Jane Doe says:
Hmmmmmaybe if the school system had left the Pre-K programs in the childcare centers instead of putting them in the schools, there would be more room. But surely it was not a $ thing…must have been for the welfare of the students…not! The private preschools and daycares should have been able to apply for the money to house the students who could not pay for preschool, leaving room to breath in the elem schools…$$$$$$ changed everything..so sad!
kidsfirst says:
How is it possible that the people in charge of Dare County Schools spent $150,000,000 on building new schools in the last few years and we have already outgrown them? Wasn’t there a growth study done to ensure that the school buildings could accommodate our growing student population? From the day that Manteo Elementary School opened it was over capacity. How does this happen? Where is the oversight?
kidsfirst says:
OMG!! Jane Doe hit it on the head. The pre-k students should have been kept in private facilities for starters. Talk about money! It sounds like Dare County Schools wants even more money for their mistakes in planning. Are we going to keep feeding the beast or stop this insanity!
Denise Turner says:
What about the Alternative School? What if we could use that building for the more at four program? If it’s population is not even considered in our list of Dare County Schools above, then obviously it is not serving it’s purpose. Let’s utilize what we have. For those who do not know about this program, it is a free pre-k program that the county provides.
Dare family says:
I will be really upset if my kids have to switch over to nags head. My husband and I work very hard at not. Having our kids switch schools. Cause I think it is unfair to pull them out when they are used to the school and the kids.
jimmy says:
Illegals… that’s all I have to say about that!!!
katie says:
More @ 4 is designated for the kids that don’t go to daycare. It helps them to develope further socially. I’m sorry I’ve had 2 children go through the program. Sucks being the poor fool who can’t afford daycare!!! Regardless of it being a nuisance to some of you, it helps people like me.
As for the over population of these brand new schools, I believe someone made a huge miscalculation. Otherwise they wouldn’t be in the position they are in now.
Never really understood why they decided to send kids north of colington to nags head anyway….
OBX Resident says:
I thank the Outer Banks Voice for writing this article. To fix the overcrowding at Manteo Elementary that has been allowed to exist since the school opened, Superintendent Sue Burgess states, “It would require due consideration and careful planning”. Careful planning and due consideration seem to be foreign to the school board, and Board of Education, and the Board of Commissioners when dealing with MES. They have allowed this problem to persist for over 7 years since the school opened, and done nothing to correct the overcrowding, and according to the article Dr. Burgess “cautions” there are no “imminent” plans to fix the problem. She just took a large bonus. Where is the accountability? What is the Board of Education doing especially those members representing Manteo?
It seems another solution to correcting the problem may be to shift the fifth grade to Manteo Middle where there is room, and then shift the eighth grade to the high school if needed. Manteo Elementary is 140 children over capacity, Manteo Middle is 71 students below capacity, and the Manteo High School is 156 students below capacity. Thus, taking into account the capacity and enrollment of the three schools on Roanoke Island, there remains 87 open seats (71 + 156 -140 = 87).
I thank the faculty at Manteo Elementary for “dealing with it well” as Dr. Burgess states, but has Dr. Burgess ever thought about how the students are dealing with it and how it is affecting them? The students and faculty deserve better, the Board of Education, Dr. Burgess and staff, and the Board of Commissioners need to make this their most important educational related assignment and get to work and solve this problem.
Jane Doe says:
Katie….there is absolutly nothing wrong with teh More at 4 program, it is a wonderful and much needed program, but local daycares and private preschools are not allowed to host the more at 4 program in their facilities even though the education and curriculum is more strict for license child care facilities than it is for the More at 4 program in our schools. IF the private daycares and preschools were allowed to apply for the money to host this program then parents who could not afford preschool would STILL get to send their child to preschool for free just like they get to at teh schools. This would be a win win situation because so many children have been taken out of our local preschool and daycares that they are now financially struggling to pay staff and fill their spaces. More at 4 hurt the daycare-preschool industry greatly. There is NO reason the More at 4 program could not have been put into the local preschool/daycares. It really does make the school system look like they are just out for more $. Do your research on how this program is funded anddemand as voters that the More at 4 money be allowed in the childcare centers and private preschools so all children have an oppertunity and SPACE to learn. It really is the best solution.
KDH Rezident Evil says:
One of the reasons I wanted to live in Dare County was because of the highly rated schools. One of the reasons I picked a place within walking distance of FFES/FFMS/FFHS was so my kids wouldn’t have to bus in to school. The proximity offers other advantages, obviously. But the school bus is a big factor: it provides is a barely-controlled environment full of hormonal, immature young people and things happen that would make your hair stand on end.
Now because of idiotic school district gerrymandering (we moved here before the Nags Head schools were built), mine are going to have to attend Nags Head schools. Nothing against the school or teachers, but we’re faced with having to deal with the busing issue.
Our BOE does a lot of good things; you could use a lot of metrics, but I think one of the best is seeing how many of our kids are prepared to make the transition to higher education, if they choose. But their record on population trends and facility needs hasn’t been so hot. And they need to suck it up and offer a salary for teachers that will attract the best and the brightest and keep them here.
Ana says:
More at Four is a great program.
Daycares here are horrible: not only expensive but the preschool curriculum is terrible and in some places non-existent. The ones with good curriculum, like montessory, costs as much as tuition at a private univeristy.
kidsfirst says:
Ana,
nobody said to get rid of more at 4, just move the program out of the school and into another building. If Dare County schools would have partnered with the surrounding pre schools, more at 4 could still be offered and there would be no over crowding issues.
Katie says:
I was referring to those who had a problem with the More @ 4 program. I loved it. If you ask me, they should have offered it sooner! So no research intended there for me. I know all about it.
Daycares are ridiculously overpriced here on this island. To put two children in, it would have cost me about as much as I recieved working. So what’s the point?!? Thats not the issue here.
To get back on subject…. OBX Resident made a good point in having the 5th graders go to the middle school and if you have to move the 8th graders to high school. Oh and the alternative, could most likely house a grade if you wanted to keep “middle” and “high/elementary” seperate.
Kelli says:
What I dont understand is why parents who live on the Kill Devil Hills/Kitty hawk line, why are those kids getting bussed to Nags Head Elementary? You have Kitty Hawk and First Flight miles closer. That would save on gas in our school busses. Kids being on the bus at 6:45am and not arriving to school sometimes so late that they cant get to the cafeteria to eat breakfast.
As for the More at 4 programs, I think that it is a wonderful thing that they provide this service free of cost. It lets children become more socially acclimated to the school experience. Do you I think that is crap that the majority of the children there are hispanic, yes I do. I do believe that every child deserve the right to a decent education, I think that top billing should go to the familys actually paying the state taxes that fund these programs.
Teachers dealing with over population in their classrooms? Talk to them, they are having to sacrifice crucial activity time in order to teach the lessons that they are required to teach. Activitys that re-enforce the lessons of the week. My sons third grade teacher has told me many times that she is already worried about EOGs. Some of the children in her class are not absorbing the material fast enough and she doesnt have the time to spend with everyone and stay on schedule with her lessons.
Im so tired of the fueding between the Beach and Manteo. Why is that any one school deserves more for their students than the others? We have to have a unified front for our children. If we cant stand together on this, if we fail,the ripple will reach future generations for years to come.
John Van Choc Straw says:
This problem goes back to when the school system was getting ready to build schools back in 2000-2001. The County Commissioners looked at the school’s facility plan and said the growth numbers were inflated and that growth at the OBX would slow down. They were wrong. They were also the ones who said we could build FFHS for $30 million when two different building companies said it would be at least $32 million. So what did the commissioners do, they gave the schools $30 million to build it. DUH
dare native says:
Dare County Schools should have kept the old Manteo Middle school campus for just such issues instead of giving/donating it to The College of the Albemarle. the buildings look great now and it has a full size, regulation gym that middle school conference games could be played in instead of the miniture ones the current MES and MMS schools have. I guess they will force another school bond without a vote (COPS) on us and expand again. Dare County hasn’t given their employees a raise in 8 years but they have plenty of money to give away campuses and build schools in the middle of housing developments lowering the value of the whole neighborhoods! Very bad foresight!
obxlocalsince88 says:
it’s not the hispanics community fault the schools are being overcrowded… like someone said its because of poor planning… they didnt do their research and now they have a problem…. and now they want more money to fix the problem…
Oh and Kelli…. hispanics arent the only ones that dont pay their taxes to the state . Whites, blacks, Asians, Hispanics…. they all do it… seems like ur a bit racist if u ask me….
Local says:
What about those parents living in Tyrell and Currituck County. Who send their kids to school in Manteo, Kitty Hawk?
Civil discourse says:
Those who keep attacking the Hispanic population are attacking one of the most important sources of “cheap” labor in our tourist oriented economy. Plenty of business owners(who pay taxes) love having them as employees. They’re cheap, low overhead-if you get my drift- and extremely hard workers. Their children deserve just as good of an education as the well off business owners. Maybe they’ll get enough of an education to rise above this sad exploitation.
Ana says:
Local, if rhe parents live in Tyrell or Crrituck and send their kids to Dare County Schools, they are technically committing fraud. I know some people do it, especially when they own property in Dare. But it is still not right, unethical and illegal.
Peter says:
They’d better start looking at Manteo Middle now too…looks like they have 70 spots left, but with growing Elem. numbers and the fact that kids in N.H. go to Manteo Middle too, it won’t be long before it’s bursting at the seems.I realize there’s less grades in Middle school, but as the greater numbers flow out of Elem. it will chew up the middle school seats quickly.
flo says:
PRE K MORE AT FOUR- IS STATE FUNDED AND NOT COUNTY FUNDED FOR THOSE OF YOU COMPLAINING ABOUT SUCH A GREAT PROGRAM!
kscw says:
4 year olds don’t need to be in “school” anyway! 5 year olds could get everything they need to learn in 1/2 day school. Some schools in Virginia split the day so some go to the morning classes and some go in the afternoon. That way they get to take their nap at home and not at school.
BeachMom says:
Peter, remember that elementary schools have 7 grade levels, middle schools only have 3 grades.
Me says:
I think that maybe people should find out more about what the school board does anyway. There is is a lot that goes on and no one knows about it.
Lots of things that happen get swept under the carpet, so that the public does not know about it.
Teachers and staff of Dare Co. Schools are not treated as great as everyone thinks.
I think maybe some house cleaning would be called for.
It was said a few years ago, that they did not want to move the lines because it would upset folks. Well if there was a fire at Manteo Elem school and people got killed how do you think that would make them feel? Which had you rather do make them mad over moving lines or try to tell parents why you chose not to and a disaster happen? How come the fire marshal hasn’t done something about this too? A lot of questions need to be answered in my opinion.
Me says:
You talk about daycare being expensive. Have you ever worked in one? There are bad ones, but there are great ones too. It is hard work and most of those owning them or working in them do not make much.
Sometimes it is more than the money aspect.
The state drives these folks nuts! Some of the rules and regulations that these people have is absolutely crazy.
I think the best way to deal with things is to make sure that the people that are running our schools are there for the right reason. For the better meant of our children and not for political reasons. I liked the article in the paper the other day when it stated that common sense has to be used, well you got to have it to use it!
OBX parent says:
Hasn’t it been 7 or 8 years since the new buildings opened? Not “just now”?