The coastland times. [volume] (Mnateo [i.e. Manteo], N.C.) 1947-1959, 1955-12-02
KEEPING THE RECORD STRAIGHT.

worked themselves, following their oeSlre
high school building Numerous citizens nave called our
attention of the following points and by checking
with number of reliable citizens of Kitty Hawk the cor
rectons made to be in order.
Now let look at the record.
Back in 1922, the Kitty Hawk people, being isolated
from the county seat of Curruck and having considered
suit of this isolation unfavorabe frame OF mnd
toward Currtuck Being almost all Democrats Atlantic
Township contained just about voters to overbaance
the Republican control in Dare County which then heu
most of the offices.
Currituck being willing to get rid of Atlantic Township
and Dare County being anxious to get It, Representative
Burgess Gather Crisp of Dare and Representative Edwin
Johnson of Curituck who quoted having sald you
satisfy en- made possible Tor the townsnlp
Curruck and join Dare Kitty Hawks hunters and
fishermen wished to take advantage of Dare County more
liberal local laws
The Atlantic Township that came to Dare only a
part of the territory referred to as the Kitty Hawk
School District 1t often referred to paying AZ per cent
countys advaorem tax Actually the Atlantic Town
ship that Dare got from Currtuck less than 70 per
cent county taxes and the bulk of this like all
other money in Dare by the grace of Godpald
by outsiders.
several hundred high citizens They had good
habits unexceed in other sections OF
Dare County They had exceptional pride in their schools
and they showed great generosity progress and public
spirit They very Jealous about their schools and Tor
Edward N. Baum who for long time chairman and
who eaousy looked after the interest of Kitty Hawk He
that Kitty Hawk got its due share of everything and ne
used possible energy and planning to enlarge the school
In the early years, Kitty Hawk acquired the two
schools Duck and Caeys Inlet to the north The people
those communities hated much to see their schools
abolished and their children taken far from home over bad
roads But nowhere there record of any sympathy being
shown for their light.
In turn Mays Head school abolished and the pupils
taken Kitty Hawk In this the school district
in Mays Head Township below Kill Devil Hills where small
settlement had begun to grow Mays Head didn't want to
lose it's school but its pleas fell on deaf ears
On the of all this big extension of territory and
before had all become part of the Kitty Hawk School
special tax on the district enlarged of and
they the time what the best rural school
support of the school, they gave literally their time and
fact always held up as an example throughout the
county of fine school, and how much pride and interest the
people took in the education of their children.
Mr. Baum, the alert for means of enlargng the
Kitty Hawk school, at last after much planning set about
aboishng remainder of the twoeacher school at Col
ngton Due the horrible roads and hardship of getting
the children out to the beach and up to Kitty Hawk ne met
terrific resistance The patrons refused to send their chill
dren out Mr. Baum prosecuted some OF the Leading
His lost out and the attempt was abandoned 1t was
many years later in 1949 when the completion OF road
helped the cause and all of Congon pupils finally went to
Kitty Hawk, after numerous pledges were made ,,..
Although Colington to become part OF the KITTY
Hawk School district for unexplained reason num-
Der of Congton citizens appeared with Kitty Hawk citizens
before the County Commissioners year before armed with
petition demanding large slice of Mays Head Township
including all of Coington Islands, be put into Atlantic
Township difficult to understand just what might be
gained by yet the Dare Commissioners without
Investigation giving adequate notice to all the citizens
readily granted the demands transferred which
contains along with other parts of Mays Head township
previously granted the Kitty Hawk district the bulk of the
property which yields nearly all the taxes now claimed as
It appears that this bad mistake this moving
large part Mays Head township into Atlantic for it
could offer advantages it could only result in confusion
of deeds and records For the citizens of township
like others general Some people mentioned at the time
that the leaders of the had in mind that through
this they could keep better control of their school and
they vote huge of the property this
annexation gained for them This property however was
owned mostly by who could have no voice at
the polls in the matter.
At any rate, the leaders of Kitty Hawk while having
always been aggressive about extending their school district
into another township vigorously opposed sending to
the Maneo school of the children in the they had
annexed to their district and heretofore citizens of Mays
Head Township of which Manteo is also part.
The rapid trend for consolidation all the state
which, many of have doesn't always produce
best results and too often results in tremendous waste
became threat to Kitty Hawks school, Like in all other
communities families in Atlantic Township growing
smaller. and school enrolment not gaining The
pers afar from home who plan lives and chldrens
futures couldn't hear Kitty Hawks pleas any better than
the officials could hear the pleas of Duck and Mays Head
and Colinpton when they too hated to lose their schools
hnrr;n 1ondor nxad