Dare County Schools School District

3020 S. Wrightsville Ave
Nags Head, NC 27959
(District boundaries shown in map)
7/
10
Top 50%

Top Rankings

Dare County Schools School District ranks among the top 20% of public school district in North Carolina for:

Category
Attribute
Graduation Rate
Highest graduation rate (Top 20%)
Community Size
Largest student body (number of students) (Top 1%)
Student Attention
Lowest student:teacher ratio (Top 1%)
For the 2025 school year, there are 4 public high schools serving 1,834 students in Dare County Schools School District. This district's average high testing ranking is 6/10, which is in the top 50% of public high schools in North Carolina.
Public High Schools in Dare County Schools School District have an average math proficiency score of 53% (versus the North Carolina public high school average of 58%), and reading proficiency score of 60% (versus the 58% statewide average).
Public High School in Dare County School School District have a Graduation Rate of 91%, which is more than the North Carolina average of 85%.
The school with highest graduation rate is Manteo High School, with ≥95% graduation rate. Read more about public school graduation rate statistics in North Carolina or national school graduation rate statistics.
Minority enrollment is 25% of the student body (majority Hispanic), which is less than the North Carolina public high school average of 55% (majority Black and Hispanic).

Overview

This School District
This State (NC)
# Schools
11 Schools
761 Schools
# Students
5,102 Students
565,764 Students
# Teachers
414 Teachers
33,453 Teachers
Student : Teacher Ratio
12:1
12:1

District Rank

Dare County Schools School District, which is ranked within the top 50% of all 320 school districts in North Carolina (based off of combined math and reading proficiency testing data) for the 2021-2022 school year.
The school district's graduation rate of 93% has decreased from 95% over five school years.
This School District
State Average (NC)
#100 out of 325 school districts
(Top 50%)
This chart displays the overall district rank of Dare County Schools  School District, with the latest 2021-22 school year data.
57%
51%
This chart displays the percentage of public school students that scored at or above 'proficient' levels in Math of Dare County Schools  School District and the percentage of public school students that scored at or above 'proficient' levels in Math of North Carolina by year, with the latest 2021-22 school year data.
57%
50%
This chart displays the percentage of public school students that scored at or above 'proficient' levels in Reading/Language Arts of Dare County Schools  School District and the percentage of public school students that scored at or above 'proficient' levels in Reading/Language Arts of North Carolina by year, with the latest 2021-22 school year data.
71%
63%
This chart displays the percentage of public school students that scored at or above 'proficient' levels in Science of Dare County Schools  School District and the percentage of public school students that scored at or above 'proficient' levels in Science of North Carolina by year, with the latest 2021-22 school year data.
93%
86%
This chart displays public school graduation rate of Dare County Schools  School District and public school graduation rate of North Carolina by year, with the latest 2021-22 school year data.

Students by Ethnicity:

0.45
0.70
# American Indian Students
5 Students
5,772 Students
% American Indian Students
n/a
1%
# Asian Students
34 Students
21,293 Students
% Asian Students
1%
4%
# Hispanic Students
1,021 Students
115,235 Students
% Hispanic Students
20%
20%
# Black Students
71 Students
138,700 Students
% Black Students
1%
24%
# White Students
3,644 Students
254,801 Students
% White Students
72%
45%
# Hawaiian Students
n/a
765 Students
% Hawaiian Students
n/a
n/a
# Two or more races Students
327 Students
30,969 Students
% of Two or more races Students
6%
6%

Students by Grade:

# Students in PK Grade:
137
491
# Students in K Grade:
301
6,922
# Students in 1st Grade:
344
6,949
# Students in 2nd Grade:
359
7,207
# Students in 3rd Grade:
353
7,125
# Students in 4th Grade:
382
7,196
# Students in 5th Grade:
377
7,763
# Students in 6th Grade:
405
11,146
# Students in 7th Grade:
378
12,024
# Students in 8th Grade:
392
12,284
# Students in 9th Grade:
413
137,976
# Students in 10th Grade:
442
126,349
# Students in 11th Grade:
437
117,582
# Students in 12th Grade:
382
104,750
# Ungraded Students:
-
-

District Revenue and Spending

The revenue/student of $13,260 is higher than the state median of $11,187. The school district revenue/student has stayed relatively flat over four school years.
The school district's spending/student of $12,873 is higher than the state median of $11,612. The school district spending/student has stayed relatively flat over four school years.
This School District
This State (NC)
Total Revenue
$68 MM
$17,307 MM
This chart displays total revenue of Dare County Schools  School District and median value from total revenues of all school districts in North Carolina by year, with the latest 2020-21 school year data.
Spending
$66 MM
$17,964 MM
This chart displays total spending of Dare County Schools  School District and median value from total spendings of all school districts in North Carolina by year, with the latest 2020-21 school year data.
Revenue / Student
$13,260
$11,187
This chart displays average revenue per public school student in Dare County Schools  School District and average revenue per public school student of all school districts in North Carolina by year, with the latest 2020-21 school year data.
Spending / Student
$12,873
$11,612
This chart displays average spending per public school student in Dare County Schools  School District and average spending per public school student of all school districts in North Carolina by year, with the latest 2020-21 school year data.

Best Dare County Schools School District Public High Schools (2025)

School
(Math and Reading Proficiency)
Location
Grades
Students
Rank: #11.
Manteo High School
(Math: 65-69% | Reading: 70-74%)
Rank:
9/
10
Top 20%
829 Wingina Avenue
Manteo, NC 27954
(252) 473-5841
Grades: 9-12
| 530 students
Rank: #22.
First Flight High School
(Math: 55-59% | Reading: 64%)
Rank:
8/
10
Top 30%
100 Veterans Drive
Kill Devil Hills, NC 27948
(252) 449-7000
Grades: 9-12
| 913 students
Rank: #33.
Cape Hatteras Secondary School
(Math: 50-54% | Reading: 50%)
Rank:
6/
10
Top 50%
48576 Highway 12
Buxton, NC 27920
(252) 995-5730
Grades: 6-12
| 363 students
Rank: #44.
Dare Learning Academy
Alternative School
(Math: 35-39% | Reading: 50-54%)
Rank:
5/
10
Bottom 50%
100 Veterans Drive
Kill Devil Hills, NC 27948
(252) 480-8888
Grades: 9-12
| 28 students

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Quick Stats (2025)

  • District size: 11 schools
  • Grades: PK-12
  • Enrollment: 5,102 students
  • Student:Teacher Ratio: 12:1
  • Minority Enrollment: 29%
  • : 93% (Top 20% in NC)
  • : Top 50%
  • : 57% (Top 30%)
  • : 57% (Top 50%)
  • : 71% (Top 50%)
  • Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), NC Dept. of Education

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