State Superintendent Mark Johnson announced today that DPI is sending 200 iPads to Hyde County Public Schools to be used by students and teachers of Ocracoke School who were displaced by Hurricane Dorian. The NC Department of Public Instruction is providing the iPads to help students stay on schedule with their schoolwork until they can return to their school building. It was announced Friday that The North Carolina Center for the Advancement of Teaching will make its NCCAT Ocracoke Campus building available for secondary classes until January 2020. Other buildings on the island will also be used for students during the recovery period. 

“After the serious damage to Ocracoke School, it is important that the students miss as little instructional time as possible and get back to some sense of normalcy as quickly as possible,” said Superintendent Johnson. “By making these devices available and partnering with NCCAT and Hyde County Schools, we can help ensure that students stay on schedule until they can return to their regular classrooms.” 

On September 6, Hurricane Dorian struck Ocracoke and the Outer Banks. The storm resulted in significant flooding, including 40 inches of water inside Ocracoke School. 

“After the storm hit Ocracoke, I immediately contacted Hyde County Superintendent Steve Basnight and told him we were ready to help any way we could,” said Superintendent Johnson. “I commend Superintendent Basnight for his steadfast leadership, and we will continue to work with Hyde County to help them get back to normal as quickly as possible.”  

Ocracoke School is a Pre-K-12 school, with approximately 185 students.