Type Public Superintendent Elease Frederick Teachers 262.83 (on FTE basis) Budget 49.94 million USD Schools 11 | Grades PK–12 District ID 3701950 Student-teacher ratio 15.52:1 Number of students 4,079 Staff 324.57 | |
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Halifax County Schools is a PK–12 graded school district serving Halifax County, North Carolina. Its 11 schools serve 4,079 students as of the 2010–11 school year.
Contents
- Map of Halifax County Schools NC USA
- History
- Student demographics
- Governance
- Board of Education
- Superintendent
- Member schools
- High schools
- Middle schools
- Elementary schools
- Athletics
- References
Map of Halifax County Schools, NC, USA
History
In 1969, the North Carolina General Assembly had authorized the town of Scotland Neck to form its own school district. The United States Justice Department filed a suit and the United States District Courts blocked the split later that year. The state and the new Scotland Neck school board appealed. Eventually the case was appealed to the United States Supreme Court in 1971. The Supreme Court ruled against the split in June, 1972.
A 2011 report by the University of North Carolina Center for Civil Rights found that segregation and inequality still exists in Halifax County because of the three separate city and county school systems. The Halifax County Schools system is run independent of the Roanoke Rapids Graded School District and Weldon City Schools. The county system had struggled for many years with funding and school performance issues. The report strongly suggested merging the systems. School performance issues gained media attention in 2011 when North Carolina's ABCs of Education report showed that 6 of the 13 lowest performing schools in the state belonged to the county school district.
Student demographics
For the 2010–11 school year, Halifax County Schools had a total population of 4,079 students and 191.89 teachers on a (FTE) basis. This produced a student-teacher ratio of 15.52:1. That same year, out of the total student population, the gender ratio was 51% male to 49% female. The demographic group makeup was: Black, 87%; American Indian, 6%; White, 5%; Hispanic, 2%; and Asian/Pacific Islander, 0% (two or more races: 1%). For the same school year, 90.09% of the students received free and reduced-cost lunches.
Governance
The primary governing body of Halifax County Schools follows a council–manager government format with a seven-member Board of Education appointing a Superintendent to run the day-to-day operations of the system. The school system currently resides in the North Carolina State Board of Education's Third District.
Board of Education
The seven members of the Board of Education generally meet on the first Monday of each month. The current members of the board are: Carolyn Hawkins, Claude Cooper (Chair), Joyce Lashley (Vice-Chair), Charles Hedgepeth, Tyus Few, James Davis III, and Susie Lynch-Evans.
Superintendent
The current superintendent is Dr. Eric Cunningham. He was appointed in July 2016. He formally served at Edgecombe County Schools as the assistant superintendent. The superintendent of the system was Elease Frederick. She began in 2009 after Geraldine Middleton resigned. Frederick was born in Halifax County and attended school there. She later returned and worked for many years in the Halifax County Schools administration. Her most recent prior position was as associate superintendent for the system. Dr. Frederick retired in June 2016.
Member schools
Halifax County Schools has 11 schools ranging from pre-kindergarten to twelfth grade. Those schools are separated into two high schools, two middle schools, and seven elementary schools.
High schools
Middle schools
Elementary schools
Athletics
According to the North Carolina High School Athletic Association, for the 2012–2013 school year: Northwestern Halifax is a 2A school in the Northern Carolina Conference and Southeast Halifax is a 1A school in the Tar Roanoke Conference.