CULLOWHEE - The North Carolina Center for the Advancement of Teaching Board of Trustees responded to needs of Ocracoke School after significant damage to the school building by Hurricane Dorian.
The NCCAT Board of Trustees voted Friday unanimously to allow Ocracoke School to use the NCCAT Ocracoke Campus building for secondary classes until January 2020. Other buildings on the Island will also be used for students during the recovery period.
“Hyde County Schools Superintendent Steve Basnight reached out to me to see if they could utilize our facility,” said NCCAT Executive Director M. Brock Womble. “We feel like the most valuable thing NCCAT can do for Ocracoke School and Ocracoke Island is to be a resource to help them rebuild. During this time, we will continue to offer professional development at our western North Carolina campus in Cullowhee, online, and in schools throughout the state.”
Hurricane Dorian struck Ocracoke and the Outer Banks of North Carolina on Sept. 6. Significant flooding caused substantial property and vehicle damage throughout the Island, including at Ocracoke School.
Ocracoke School had 40 inches of water inside the building in places, and severe damage to walls and floors as a result.
"I can't thank NCCAT enough for allowing us this opportunity to get our kids back to school," Basnight reported during the Board of Trustees meeting.