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Toward the end of February, Dare County Board of Education members took a look at a proposed budget for school year 2025-2026.

The overall Dare County budget process is accelerated by a month, making the county’s school board proposed budget not quite complete. The local board does not have the state’s Department of Public Instruction allotment, which makes state figures in the proposed budget incomplete.

On Feb. 25, 2026, Dare County Schools interim finance director Rashad Daniels presented a total budget of $83,704,442 to all members of the Dare County Board of Education.

The proposed school budget is slightly higher than the current budget. The proposal shows a certified employee supplement increase totaling $726,238; classified employees salary increase totaling $269,928; athletic coaching supplement increase totaling $103,834; and an administrator position at $177,431. Pre-K students were added to the average daily membership for an additional $45,503.

The proposed budget also asks for an additional $300,000 for capital expenditures, labeled Building and Grounds.

The additional proposed funding request for the 2026 school budget totals $1,623,934.

The proposed budget is based on an average daily membership of 4,817 students. The funding in arrears model is based on prior year’s average daily membership, which eliminates estimating of student numbers necessary under the old system.

Dare County Schools student numbers have been declining. Currently, students in grades 9-12 have more than 400 students per grade. In kindergarten, the class size is 308 students.

For the 2025-2026 school year, the decrease in average daily membership will be about 3.05%, which means a similar decrease in state and federal funding.

Dare County Schools are unique in the revenue streams that come to the unit. Just over half – 51% – comes from state coffers. Dare County provides 45.5%. The federal government sends 3.4%.

Program report codes show federal funding as the only source of funding for these programs: PRC 17 Career and Technical Program Improvement; PRC 049 Pre-School Handicapped; PRC 50 Title I; PRC 60 Title VI-B Handicapped; PRC 103 Title II Improving Teacher Quality; PRC 108 Student Support/Academic Enrichment.

Federal funding along with state and local dollars makes up a portion of the funding for the PRC 54/104 Limited English Proficiency program.

The enterprise account for School Nutrition has funding from Dare County, program generated revenue and the United States Department of Agriculture.

Charter schools, under PRC 036, are locally funded as required by the state. This year $129,256 will be distributed to four charter schools. Some 13 students are supported.

Also in the February presentation was the Dare County school board’s cost for a certified employee:

Average DCS Teacher Salary: $55,175

Average DCS Teacher Supplement: $6,648

Retirement Matching: $15,159

FICA Matching: $4,729

Employer Health Cost: $8,500

Total Employer Cost: $90,211

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