The Hyde County School Division is the second smallest school division in North Carolina. The School Division is located in rural northeast North Carolina. Geographically, the area has fertile land suitable for farming. Additionally, the area boarders the Pamlico Sound on the Mainland and Ocracoke Island has as its boarders the Atlantic Ocean and the Pamlico Sound, thus the seafood industry also plays a vital role in the local economy. Tourism is a main revenue source for the economy of the Island as well as the Mainland.The School Division is comprised of three schools. Two schools are on the Mattamuskeet Campus on the Mainland of Hyde and the third school is on the Ocracoke Campus on Ocracoke Island. Mattamuskeet Elementary School enrolls students in grades PreK – 5 and Mattamuskeet Early College High School enrolls students in grades 6-13. The Ocracoke School, located on Ocracoke Island is a PreK-12 school. The Ocracoke Campus is accessible from the Mattamuskeet Campus by a two hour forty-five minute ferry ride or a three hour drive to Cape Hatteras followed by a forty-five minute ferry ride from Cape Hatteras to the Island.Hyde County Schools is an emerging school division in the state of North Carolina. The School Division has embarked on systemic changes that will improve student learning and subsequently improved overall student academic performance on required assessments. The implementation of division benchmarks, research proven effective instructional strategies, and evaluation of instructional and administrative staff are keys in propelling the Division forward as a leader in providing excellent educational opportunities for all students.Hyde County Schools is entering its fourth year of its partnership with the North Carolina New Schools Project, an initiative of the Office of the Governor and the NC Education Cabinet with the support of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Mattamuskeet Early College High School now encompasses grades 6-13. Students in the lower grades of the early college enroll in traditional middle school courses and blended courses that prepare them for a more rigorous course of study in grades 9-13. Students leaving the early college high school have the option of a traditional high school diploma at the end of grade twelve or an associate’s degree or technical certificate upon completion of year five or grade thirteen.The vision and mission for Hyde County Schools serves as the guide for decisions made by the Board of Education in meeting the diverse needs of its primary customers and stakeholder…the students and parents of Hyde County. The Board of Education, as well as, its employees realizes that in meeting the needs of all students, everyone must work collaboratively in identifying strengths and weaknesses and where weaknesses are identified, work together to realize improvement.