Carteret County Public Schools

Carteret County Public Schools (CCPS) is a PK–12 school district serving Carteret County, North Carolina, with 18 schools and approximately 8,000 students in the 2024-2025 school year. In the 2010-2011 school year, the district had 8,626 students and 636.55 full-time equivalent teachers, resulting in a student-teacher ratio of 13.55:1. The student body was 52% male and 48% female, with a demographic breakdown of 80% White, 7% Black, 5% Hispanic, 1% American Indian, 1% Asian/Pacific Islander, and 6% two or more races. Approximately 74% of students received free or reduced-cost lunches. The district is governed by a seven-member Board of Education, which appoints a Superintendent to manage daily operations. The board meets monthly on the first Tuesday. Current members are Al Hill (Chair), Cathy Neagle (Vice Chair), David Carr, June Fulcher, Perry Harker, Mark Mansfield, and John "Bubba" McLean. Richard Paylor has been Superintendent since November 1, 2022. CCPS operates under the North Carolina State Board of Education's Second District. Funding is provided by the state and county, as the district lacks taxation authority. The Carteret County Public School Foundation, established in 2010, supports initiatives in STEM, reading, preschool education, arts, and innovation. It received a $25,000 donation from PotashCorp-Aurora in 2012. The district includes four high schools (Croatan, East Carteret, West Carteret), four middle schools (Beaufort, Broad Creek, Morehead City, Newport), and nine elementary schools. Athletics affiliations for the 2012-2013 school year were Croatan High School as a 2A school in the East Central Conference, East Carteret High School as ...