Elizabeth City Earns High Marks in Education
Elizabeth City offers a wide selection of high-quality education options.
The quality of education children receive during their K-12 years has a direct impact on their futures. Students in Elizabeth City benefit from access to a number of institutions that are stocked with outstanding teachers and programs that are sure to put them on the right track.
In This Article
In the Beginning
Access to quality education and care services starts at an early age in Elizabeth City. Parents can enroll their infants and toddlers in a program at Grace Montessori Academy, which also offers programs for primary and elementary-age students.
Spots are also available for those ages 12 and under at Bright Beginnings Academy, which provides highly equipped teachers and an environment where children can thrive. Success Academy, a five-star child development center, offers programs for children ages 3 to 12 and encourages foundational growth as well as educational development.
Specialty Steppingstones
As students get older, the quality of education they receive does not diminish.
Private schools, such as New Life Academy and the Albemarle School, boast excellent curricula that not only engage but challenge students.
The region is home to Northeast Academy for Aerospace and Advanced Technologies, a STEM school that prepares students to pursue the high-demand jobs and careers of the future. And should any students need assistance, the area’s now 15-year-old Sylvan Learning Center is on the ready to provide tutoring.
Options, Options
The highly regarded Elizabeth City-Pasquotank Public Schools (ECPPS) system is another great option for parents to consider. This district, especially, is fluid in that it has successfully shifted its offerings in response to things happening outside of the classroom.
For example, it quickly and efficiently switched from classroom to distance learning during the COVID-19 disruption.
“One of our biggest accomplishments was establishing Park-and-Learn Wi-Fi hot spots on school campuses, so students and parents in rural areas with spotty broadband could drive to any school and get onto the Wi-Fi from their cars,” says Catherine Edmonds, superintendent of ECPPS.
Other measures have also been taken to help at-home schooling run more smoothly, Edmonds says.
The Pasquotank County Commission, for example, voted to replace any tech devices broken by students when remote learning.
Camden County Schools (CCS), another quality school district in the region, will soon replace its high school building, thanks to a $10 million grant from the Needs-Based Public School Capital Fund.
“We have outgrown the current Camden County High School facility, and enrollment numbers will only keep increasing because a number of housing developments were approved in Camden County during 2020, while others are in the process of approval for 2021,” says Joe Ferrell, superintendent of CCS. “If a new high school is built, it would open around 2024.”
Higher & Higher
When it comes to higher education institutions, a number of choices are available. One example is Mid-Atlantic Christian University, which was founded in Elizabeth City in 1948. Plus, College of The Albemarle was ranked the best community college in North Carolina by Schools.com in 2016. Elizabeth City State University (ECSU) now allows students at three community colleges to transfer all their credits and continue working toward a four-year degree. ECSU has a longstanding relationship with the U.S. Coast Guard and pays to help train future service members to become Coast Guard pilots.
With all of these top options available, it’s easy to see how Elizabeth City students – from primary age to college – are excelling in their schooling and on track to land top careers.
If you’d like to learn more about the Elizabeth City area, check out the latest edition of Livability: Elizabeth City, NC.