Dare commissioners obtain faculty facility survey, take further motion – The Coastland Instances

By Jason Last updated Aug 17, 2021

The Dare County Board of Commissioners has received and reviewed a Department of Public Instruction Facility needs assessment for 2020-21 of Dare County Public Schools.

For the next 10 years the survey shows that the school system does not expect any new schools or expansions of facilities.

The survey shows that the system has an additional capacity of 1,032 students over the period 2019-20 compared to enrollment.

Enrollments are expected to decline over the next 10 years, which will lead to a surplus of 1,520 places.

The overcapacity is unevenly distributed.

One elementary school was overburdened and three elementary schools have a low capacity.

Manteo Elementary has a capacity of 618 students. The average daily membership for 2019-20 was 660 students, which is 42 more K-5 students than capacity. In a separate column, Manteo Elementary shows the capacity for 54 students in Pre-K.

Kitty Hawk Elementary has a capacity of 480 students. The average daily membership was 467 students, making 13 additional K-5 student places available. Kitty Hawk accommodates 36 pre-K students.

The average daily membership of Cape Hatteras Elementary for the past semester was 298 K-5 students. The school’s capacity is 326 K-5 students with 28 places available. The school has a capacity of 36 students in Pre-K. For this coming semester, the school has a Pre-K classroom with 18 students.

First Flight Elementary has an average daily membership of 307, with a K-5 capacity of 344, making 37 student places available. The school’s pre-K capacity is 36 students.

Cape Hatteras Secondary has by far the largest capacity with 399 students for grades 6 to 12. First Flight Middle follows with 211 students.

The needs survey for the facility was carried out on August 2nd in the approval agenda.

At the meeting on Monday, August 2nd, commissioners passed a resolution to begin the process of removing a 10 year debt to finance the purchase of Kill Devil Hills land at $ 1,961,700 for an EMS station and to issue a Manteo package for the youth center for USD 767,700. The renovation work for the youth center is estimated at $ 201,300.

The unanimously adopted decision called for a public hearing. The hearing took place immediately after the Chamber brought the action. Nobody came out to speak.

In one planning matter, the board of directors unanimously approved a change to the special use permit 2-2020 for Shelly OBX Mini Storage in Mann’s Harbor. The application was submitted by the owners, William and Shelly Daugherty. The approved change adds a fourth mini warehouse to the store.

The commissioners hired Albemarle & Associates of Kill Devil Hills to provide professional engineering services for projects valued at $ 50,000 or less. An application for qualifications was announced on June 1, 2021. Three proposals were received, one from a Raleigh company and one from Elizabeth City. The proposals were examined by the district purchaser, the finance director and the district executive. The review group recommended Albemarle based on his knowledge of Dare County, general responsiveness, and previous experience.

The commissioners adopted a proclamation declaring August Child Support Awareness Month. The proclamation reaffirms the board’s committee to “empower the county’s families by providing child support services to improve economic stability and children’s well-being”. In fiscal 2021, more than $ 2.6 million in child support was raised from parents of children in Dare County. Almost 827 child benefit applications have been received and more than 950 children receive financial support from their parents, according to the proclamation.

“The Parks and Recreation Advisory Council reviews and advises the Parks and Recreation Department in its efforts to promote, organize, plan and coordinate activities and programs for youth and adults in Dare County,” the agenda reads.

The board reappointed eight members, including Anita Bills, Willer Spencer, Amanda Hooper Walters, George Bar, Robert Parrish, Eddie Twyne, Stephanie J. Harkness-Moxley, and Kelli Harmon. The board of directors named Helen Furr as the seat of Kathy Carden, who did not want to be re-elected.

District chief Robert L. Outten solicited and received permission to spend an additional $ 5,000 on technology training for 700 employees.

Outten spoke of “a tangled mess” over rainwater culverts along Airport Road. The project was to move a culvert, but the culvert was connected to a pipe that is not working. Figuring out the mess will be the job of Albemarle & Associates.

In Wescott Park, the owner of a row of three or four homes has asked the county to put up a fence to keep bikes and motorbikes from crossing the private property. The job costs $ 7,256.

At the end of his agenda, Outten said, “I am so proud of our people.” He was helped by Chairman Robert L. Woodward and Commissioner Danny Couch as they greeted the county’s staff.