Corolla Finally Gets Charter School Approval

Corolla school approved by state board

By Jeff Hampton
The Virginian-Pilot
© March 2, 2012
For the first time since 1957, a school is set to open this fall in Corolla following approval Thursday by the North Carolina State Board of Education.

It was the last major hurdle for a small group of parents who worked for years to create a school on the Currituck County Outer Banks to keep their children from having to travel hours a day on a bus to and from the mainland.

"We're ecstatic," said Sylvia Wolff, a founder of the school. "It's a little bit surreal. Now we have to make this a reality."

About 30 students are expected to enroll at Waters Edge Village School. Funded by the state, public charter schools allow for greater flexibility in course work and in hiring teachers. The school would cover state-required standard subjects while making use of unique resources nearby such as the wild horses, the ocean surf, maritime forests and freshwater marshes.

The Corolla Education Foundation, the group behind the school, plans a public informational meeting at 5:30 p.m. March 12 at the Pine Island Fire Station in Corolla.

A small school for Corolla children closed in 1957 after the population there had declined to just a few families. About 30 years later, Corolla boomed as a tourist attraction.