DATE: Friday, October 10, 1997              TAG: 9710100668

SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: B1   EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA 

SOURCE: BY PAUL SOUTH, STAFF WRITER 

DATELINE: BUXTON                            LENGTH:   67 lines

DARE EDUCATION OFFICIALS OK PURCHASING SITE FOR SCHOOL

Purchase of a tract that could pave the way for a separate elementary school on Hatteras Island was approved Thursday night by the Dare County Board of Education.

The land deal, however, must win final approval from the Dare County Board of Commissioners, which will be asked to pick up the $550,000 tab.

Part of the 27-acre parcel will be a gift to the school district. The remaining 7.57 acres comes with the $550,000 price tag. The land is one of the highest areas on Hatteras Island.

Cape Hatteras School, the only K-12 facility in the county, sits on a 15-acre site. However, a 34-acre site would be needed to properly house current enrollment, Dare County Board Chairman Fletcher Willey said Thursday.

Also, the current Cape Hatteras campus - built in 1952 - is in a flood plain.

``That elementary school wing, as evidenced by Hurricane Emily, could not be built at its current elevation based on today's flood regulations,'' Willey said. ``The property we'd like to purchase sits on two 20-foot ridges, some of the highest property on Hatteras Island. This is an outstanding opportunity.''

Some 20 acres of the tract are considered buildable. The remaining 6-plus acres are wetlands.

The timing of the Hatteras transaction is ``ironic'' Willey said.

``This comes at a time when Dare County is about to open 1,000 building sites on Hatteras Island to water availability,'' Willey said. ``No one knows how quickly the population will increase. But we definitely need to move forward.''

The board's regular meeting was originally scheduled for next week, but was moved to Thursday because of the property offer. Because of the schedule change, three board members - Donna Buxton, Loretta Michael and Susie Walters - were absent because of prior commitments, officials said.

``There was a timetable involved in the offer,'' Superintendent Leon Holleman said. ``The owner needs to do something because of tax purposes.''

Along with county funding for the tract, other hurdles must be cleared before the sale is a done deal. The property must meet all environmental requirements, and it must qualify for the necessary permits.

``There are still a lot of variables,'' said Board of Education Vice Chairwoman Virginia Tillett. ``All of the permit requirements have to be taken care of. We can't afford to spend additional monies to make the property meet permit requirements.''

Also at Thursday's meeting:

In a property-related matter,the town of Kill Devil Hills has invited the board to meet on Nov. 10 to discuss the acquisition of additional property on the Baum Tract. The town, school district, the county and the Nature Conservancy in 1995 worked out a complex land swap that would provide land for the construction of a beach high school.

Earlier this year, the Kill Devil Hills Board of Commissioners agreed to look at the possibility of making additional land available to the school district.

The board approved acceptance of the old Cape Hatteras weather station. The U.S. Office of Education still needs to sign off on the deal, but Thursday's vote moves the system a step closer to possession of the property, at no cost to the district.

``That's going to be a great opportunity for Cape Hatteras School,'' Board Member Allen Burrus said. ``It moves Cape Hatteras School a step closer to having a full range of academic offerings.''

Assistant Superintendent Gene Gallelli said the facility could be used for laboratory and classroom work in a variety of fields, including studies of weather and the coastal environment. Another potential use is for an in-school radio station.

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