The top reported proficiency rate is 74% in Science. The lowest is 37% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Dare Learning Academy
Dare Learning Academy is a small alternative high school serving grades nine through twelve in Kill Devil Hills on North Carolina's Outer Banks. The school enrolls a small cohort, with enrollment distributed across the four grade levels and a notably high share of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch. The student body is predominantly white, with smaller populations of Hispanic, multiracial, and Black students, and an Asian student enrollment of a handful. No data on students with individualized education plans or English learners was available.
The school sits at 100 Veterans Drive in Kill Devil Hills, a tourism-driven coastal town whose economy centers on hospitality, retail, and vacation rentals layered over a year-round residential base. The town's physical layout is dominated by the four-lane US-158 (Croatan Highway), a commercial corridor with chain shops, fast-food, and beachwear retailers, though quieter residential neighborhoods and a pedestrian-friendly beach road exist nearby. Housing in the area is substantially costlier than the state average, driven by Outer Banks demand and second-home investment. The town is in sustained growth mode, with new workforce housing developments and ongoing zoning changes to address a local shortage of affordable housing that affects teachers and service workers. The Wright Brothers National Memorial anchors civic life, and the Kill Devil Hills Library, Baum Senior Center, and family recreation park on Mustian Street form a small cluster of community anchors.
Dare County Schools, the district serving the school, recently restructured its academic calendar so the first semester and exams conclude before winter break, aligning with College of The Albemarle's schedule to support dual enrollment. The district has expanded its Spanish Dual Language Immersion program through middle school and is investing in subsidized teacher housing to address a chronic staffing shortage in the Outer Banks market.
State testing data from 2021-22 shows the school's results in mathematics, English language arts, and science on end-of-grade tests. In ELA, proficiency was above midpoint for a school of this type and setting. In science, results were notably stronger. In mathematics, proficiency was substantially below the other subjects, reflecting an area where the school's students face steeper academic ground. The school tested small numbers of students in science, so that result carries less weight as a school-level picture. No high school end-of-course assessment results were available in the data provided, so a more complete picture of college-readiness performance is incomplete. No graduation rate, attendance, or discipline data appeared in available records, and special-population data for students with IEPs or English learners was not reported.
An alternative school setting typically serves students who have struggled in a traditional comprehensive high school environment, students pursuing individualized pacing, or those balancing work, parenthood, or other responsibilities alongside schooling. The small enrollment and high proportion of economically disadvantaged students reflect that mission. Parents considering this school should ask directly about the specific programming model, support services, dual-credit and career pathway options, graduation outcomes, and the counseling and academic support structure available to students, particularly given the math proficiency gap visible in the earlier grades.
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