THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, August 23, 1995 TAG: 9508230457
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA
SOURCE: BY PAUL SOUTH, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: MANTEO LENGTH: Medium: 65 lines
When Dare County students return to school Thursday, Manteo High School principal Everett Walterhouse and his staff will have taken a crash course in space utilization.
Enrollment at Manteo High is up more than 20 percent this fall. As of Tuesday, 920 students - including 295 freshmen - will be on hand when the school year begins. THe school finished the 1994-95 year with 764 students.
``Last year, we only graduated 150 seniors,'' said Walterhouse, who is in his first year at the high school, coming from Kitty Hawk Elementary. ``We've got the 295 freshmen coming in. Next year, it will be the same way. We've got 173 seniors, and there are 300 eighth graders in the system.''
Manteo High has added two portable classrooms to help ease growing pains. The school will use four portable classes this year. The school also will have seven additional teachers, and all 48 classrooms at the school will be used every period. Which will mean that in order to accommodate other classes, teachers will have to vacate their classrooms during their open periods.
``We have to use every classroom space available,'' said Assistant Principal Alison Sholar. ``All of the teachers we've added teach in the core curriculum. We wanted to keep English classes at the ninth and 10th grade level at about 20 students. The other classes will have 35 to 30 students.''
Walterhouse said that counselors' contracts were extended to 12-months, and they have been working with students over the summer.
Walterhouse said he did not expect an increase in enrollment to automatically mean an increase in discipline problems. An additional lunch period has been added to ease crowding.
``Only a small percentage of students cause discipline problems,'' said Walterhouse. ``Usually, that percentage never changes.
Sholar said teachers and staff are working to find ways to do their jobs better.
``We have to find ways to do things more efficiently,'' Sholar said. ``We have to be more data-driven rather than personality driven in the way we do things. We have to find ways to handle scheduling and other problems that will make things run more smoothly.''
Sholar said the increased enrollment has prompted greater camaraderie between teachers and staff. The assistant principal said she hopes that a larger student body will mean greater parental involvement.
Walterhouse is also optimistic that Manteo High will continue to rank among North Carolina's best public high schools on standardized tests.
``We will continue to show progress,'' he said. ``In fact, our scores may be better than they were. We've got a tremendously bright group of students coming through the system. I think we'll continue to do well.''
For the first time, enrollment in Dare County Schools has topped the 4,000 mark, with 4,215 students. The increased enrollment means a raise in the amount of state funding. However, the amount of that additional money will be determined based on system-wide enrollment on the tenth class day.
``We have staff to deal with the additional students,'' Walterhouse said. ``I think everybody's looking forward to the year. We know we're going to be crowded, but we have to do the best we can in this situation.'' MEMO: SCHOOLS ADVANCE
New school year brings some new programs at Tyrrell and Hyde county
schools. Story on Page B3.
by CNB