NAGS HEAD, N.C. — After-school care will have a new look in the 2026-2027 school year at the five Dare County Elementary Schools. A partnership with "Right at School" that will only expand childcare access for families in the Outer Banks.
“That was a huge weight lifted off of my shoulders as a mom, because I know that my child's gonna be taken care of," said Caitlin Spruill, assistant superintendent for Dare Co. Schools.
Spruill is not only the assistant superintendent at Dare County Schools, she is also the mother of a soon to be kindergartener this fall. Spruill looking forward to the opportunities in childcare she now has for the upcoming school year.
"I was one of those parents that was like, 'Okay, when are the applications coming out? When is this?' Because I wanted to make sure that we had that option, but now it's not a concern," said Spruill.
That's Spruill talking about DCS's current after school program that was successful but sometimes a challenge for families to get a spot in and faced with staffing challenges. Long-time director of the ASEP afterschool program L'Tanya Murray is retiring in August.
“She had some concerns about the sustainability of it, as far as staffing, and then how we can further enhance what we have," said Spruill, sharing some of the concerns that Murray had.
Murray and school district leaders went on a long search to figure out how they could make sure the program was set-up for success.
"L'Tanya was approached by someone about Right at School who was very interested in having a discussion. And so she had a discussion with them, and then she came to me and said, Katie, I think this is the way to go," said Spruill.
That’s where “Right At School” comes in, earlier this month the Dare County School Board unanimously approved a partnership with the organization for after school operations.
“The work that school leaders do from seven to three is heavy and daunting enough, and being able to continue that support beyond the bell is oftentimes a challenge. It really came from understanding that the district was investing so many resources in making sure that families had great coverage, but really unable to continue to grow to scale, because the demand is so significant," said Steffany Holloway, vice-president of Partnerships for "Right at School."
It’s a challenge that the Holloway says the organization is prepared to tackle.
Dedicated student enrichment programs, for the first time after-school programs will be offered on early release days here, summer programs are planned for 2027, but maybe the most important piece of this puzzle for our community is their staffing.
“We are making sure that we are staffing beyond the current needs. Our goal is to not have any wait list in any of those buildings.”
This is a big deal for Dare County and for Caitlin a weight off their shoulders to know that the after school program will be in good hands.
For any parent interested in signing up for the program, click here.
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