Public school district · Town: Remote
North Carolina · Dare County

Dare County Schools

4,968 students · 11 schools · 14.3:1 ratio · grades PreK–12 · #64 of 334 in North Carolina

Students
4,968
Schools
11
Teachers (FTE)
347
Student–Teacher
14.3:1
County
Dare
Grades
PreK–12
OverviewEnrollmentDemographicsStaffingFundingPerformanceAccreditationCompareFull data
Overview

About Dare County Schools

Dare County Schools is a public school system serving Dare County, North Carolina, based in Nags Head. It serves 4,968 students across 11 schools spanning PreK–12, and is classified as a town: remote district. By enrollment it is the #64 largest of North Carolina’s 334 school systems.

Phone2524808888
Address3020 S. Wrightsville Ave, Nags Head, NC 27959
CountyDare County
Enrollment & schools

Size and structure

Dare County Schools enrolls 4,968 students in 11 schools — an average of about 452 students per school. It serves grades PreK–12 and ranks #64 of 334 statewide by enrollment.

Students
4,968
#64 of 334 in North Carolina
Schools
11
~452 students each
Grade span
PreK–12
Town: Remote
Students & demographics

Who the district serves

Student race and ethnicity in Dare County Schools, from the NCES Common Core of Data (4,968 students reported):

White
71%
Black
1%
Hispanic
21%
Asian
1%
Two or more
6%
Amer. Indian
0%
Pacific Isl.
0%

For economically-disadvantaged, English-learner, and special-education shares, plus school-by-school detail, see the federal sources in the full-data section.

Staffing & support

Teachers & staff

Dare County Schools employs about 347 full-time-equivalent teachers for a student–teacher ratio of 14.3:1 — below the North Carolina average of about 16.0:1, meaning comparatively smaller classes.

Student–teacher ratio
14.3:1
state avg ~16.0:1
Teachers (FTE)
347
classroom teachers

Counselor and librarian/media counts are not published at the district level in the current NCES release; see the federal full-data links for staffing detail.

Funding

How North Carolina funds schools

North Carolina funds its districts chiefly through state allotments driven by average daily membership: position allotments pay for guaranteed staff such as classroom teachers (the single largest item), while dollar allotments provide fixed per-pupil amounts, with added allotments for children with disabilities, limited-English, at-risk and low-wealth or small counties. North Carolina is unusual in that the state funds the bulk of operating costs (roughly two-thirds of school revenue) while counties mainly fund buildings and local salary supplements.

District-level per-pupil spending and the local/state/federal revenue split for Dare County Schools are published in the federal school-finance files — see the full-data links below for the current figures.

Accountability

Report card & state results

North Carolina assigns A–F School Performance Grades and publishes them through the NC School Report Cards, combining achievement and growth with graduation, test results and demographics. Look up Dare County Schools on the NC School Report Cards.

Accreditation

Accreditation status

North Carolina does not require statewide accreditation of its public districts; accreditation is voluntary, and districts that pursue it generally work with Cognia, the de facto K-12 accreditor. Look up Dare County Schools in the free Cognia registry.

How it compares

Dare County Schools vs. North Carolina

Enrollment rank
#64
of 334 districts
Ratio
14.3:1
state avg ~16.0:1
Locale
Town: Remote
Dare County

See every North Carolina district side by side in the North Carolina directory.

Go deeper

Look up Dare County Schools’s full data

These official sources carry the district-level detail — finances, discipline, equity, test scores, boundaries. Direct links for this district (via its NCES ID):

Data & sources

About this data

Enrollment, demographics, staffing, locale and contact details reflect the NCES Common Core of Data (2024–25); funding context from the North Carolina General Assembly (the allotment system) and NEA Rankings & Estimates 2026. Figures are the latest available and may lag the current school year. This page is informational, not an official district record, and not affiliated with or endorsed by Dare County Schools. NCES District ID (LEAID): 3701110. Confirm current details with the district and the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction.