Outer Banks Times

West Carteret High School had the highest enrollment among Carteret County schools, welcoming 1,103 students during the 2022-23 school year, according to the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction.

Among the 17 schools in Carteret County, Croatan High School ranked second in enrollment numbers with 957 students, while White Oak Elementary School welcomed 746 students and ranked third in the 2022-23 school year.

West Carteret High School is part of Carteret County Public Schools district, which roughly covers institutions within Carteret County and has a main office in Beaufort.

In the previous school year, West Carteret High School also had the highest number of students among Carteret County schools.

North Carolina's public schools are facing a significant funding gap, with a per-student expenditure of $10,519 — well below the national average of $14,295.

This financial strain is further compounded by a significant challenge in staffing with a staggering 58.4% surge in vacant teaching positions in the 2021-22 school year, leaving over 5,000 classrooms without qualified instructors.

School name	City	Total School Enrollment
West Carteret High School	Morehead City	1,103
Croatan High School	Newport	957
White Oak Elementary School	Cape Carteret	746
Broad Creek Middle School	Newport	715
Newport Elementary School	Newport	650
Morehead City Primary School	Morehead City	522
East Carteret High School	Beaufort	515
Morehead City Middle School	Morehead City	481
Bogue Sound Elementary School	Newport	460
Beaufort Elementary School	Beaufort	367
Morehead Elementary at Camp Glenn	Morehead City	290
Beaufort Middle School	Beaufort	256
Down East Middle and Smyrna Elementary School	Smyrna	231
Harkers Island Elementary School	Harkers Island	116
Atlantic Elementary School	Atlantic	74
Marine Science & Technology Early College High School	Morehead City	44
Bridges School	Morehead City	12