Dare County Schools' early college proposal moves forward

MANTEO, N.C. — Dare County leaders are moving forward with plans to establish an early college program. It would allow select students to get an associate’s degree before leaving high school.

Dare County is one of only 17 districts in the state without such a program.

“Tons of benefits to our students: The options to be able to take college classes free of charge,” said Steve Basnight, Superintendent of Dare County Schools. "Students can complete an associate’s degree while in high school and never have to pay a dime for it. And that benefits our parents as well."

The district submitted a proposal to the state that awaiting final approval. The North Carolina General Assembly must also sign off on the plan.

Each class would 50 to 75 students each year, beginning with the ninth grade. The proposal involves a partnership with the College of the Albemarle.

“Our proposal was very unique in that we not only targeted those associate degree programs leading to the four-year university, but also some of those career and technical opportunities afforded with our college partner,” said Denise Fallon, director of secondary education for Dare County Schools. "One of the things that we’d like to focus on and is part of the proposal is building a teacher ed pipeline here in Dare County, and so really looking at ways to enhance those opportunities for students."

First, there needs to be a place to house the program.

The superintendent and other school leaders attended a meeting Tuesday morning of the county’s Capital Improvements Planning committee. They heard from Oakley Collier Architects about potential options for a site.

An initial idea was to use the old College of the Albemarle campus in Manteo, which is owned by the county, but the architects discovered issues that county leaders found would make the option too expensive over the long-term, costing at least $17 million under one scenario.

"Really the cost to do that … the renovations were to be as much as it would be a new facility,” said Robert Woodard, chairman of the Dare County Board of Commissioners. “So we'll have other uses that we can use that property for.”

The committee decided to recommend a site on the current College of the Albemarle campus about a mile away and renovate one of the old buildings to temporarily house an initial class of students. While those renovations could only take a matter of months, it will take around two years to build a new facility.

Dare County commissioners will likely consider the plan at their next meeting.