Brittany Hellriegel

Community Analysis
The library that I have selected is the Croatan High School media center. Croatan
High School is part of the Carteret County School System and is located in Newport,
North Carolina. It serves the students of Emerald Isle, Cedar Point, and Newport. The
student population is approximately nine hundred and fifteen in a school built for less
than eight hundred students. The mission of the CHS media center is, to serve as a
resource in providing instructional support for teachers and students, this according to
the media center website. The professional librarian who is responsible for the media
center is Julie Perry. She obtained her MLS from East Carolina University and has only
ever been a media coordinator at Croatan High School. Her background is in middle
school and high school English.
Creating a thorough community analysis is important, especially because I do not
live in the community in which I teach. Being able to know the population you serve and
the community in which they live is essential to providing the best possible service to
students. Understanding the demographics of your students helps assess needs and helps
selection of resources. Building the best possible collection that reflects the student body
is not possible without re
The Community
Geographic setting:
Croatan High School is located in Newport, North Carolina, on the coast of Eastern North
Carolina. This lies within the limits of Carteret County.The school is waterfront, as is
much of the community. The area is referred to as The Crystal Coast. There are miles of
beaches and sound and ocean views from just about anywhere in the county. Carteret
County is approximately 506.25 square miles.
Topographic features:
Carteret County is a coastal community, which is constantly being profiled for national
magazines and other publications. Many towns have a very rich history and because of
the location, many water-based occupations are available. The school is named after the
Croatan National Forest, which spans Carteret and Craven counties. This makes the
topographical features unique because of the ocean setting with woods and national
forests nearby.
Population:
As of the 2010 census, the population of Carteret County was 66,469.
Age distribution of population:
At the time of this census, approximately 20% of the population were under 18 years of
age, 6.4% were in the age range of 18-24, around 20% were from 25 years of age to 44,

around 28% were from 45-64, and around 17% were 65 years of age or older. The
median age was 42 years old.
Ethnic and racial groups:
The population makeup is approximately 89.7% white, 6.2% black or African American,
1.2% Asian, 0.6% Native American/Alaskan Native, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 0.06%
Pacific Islander, and 2.1% from two or more races.
Educational levels of the population:
Based on statistics from 2009-2013, the percentage of persons 25 and older that were
high school graduates or higher was 88.3%. The percent of persons 25 and older that
possessed a bachelors degree or higher was 23.9%.
Economic levels of the population:
Out of 29,352 households, the median household income was $47,179, and the mean
household income was $63,111. The number of households reporting less than a 25,000
annual income was 7,206. The number or households reporting an income of over
$100,000 was 4,797. The number of families living below the poverty line is 12.0%.
Eleven percent of the civilian labor force in the county is unemployed.
Employment opportunities:
Carteret County has unique opportunities because of its location. There are opportunities
in commercial fishing, and boat building. Because of the close proximity to both Camp
Lejeune and Cherry Point, many people that live in the county are in the military. The
biggest employer in the county is Carteret County Schools. The top 30 employers in 2014
were Carteret County Public Schools, Carteret General Hospital, NC Department of
Transportation, Carteret County Government, United States Coast Guard, Wal-Mart
Associates Inc. Bally Refrigerated Boxes, Lowes Home Centers Inc., Carteret
Community College, Atlantic Veneer, Town of Morehead City, Bluewater Real Estate,
NC Dept of Environment and Natural Resources, Veneer Technology, Jarrett Bay
Boatworks, NOAA Beaufort Lab, Harborview Healthcare, Maxim Healthcare Services,
Inc. Big Rock Sports, LLC, Bojangles Famous Chicken and Biscuits, United States Post
Office, Time Warner Cable, Carteret-Craven Electric Cooperative, Food Lion, Snug
Harbor on Nelson Bay, Duke University Marine Lab, Belk, Inc, Town of Emerald Isle,
McDonalds, DoubleTree Hotel & Conference Center.
Businesses:
There are many thriving businesses in Carteret County and there are many initiatives to
support new businesses in the county. Carteret Community College has a small business
center offering free classes and advising. Connect Carteret/Kickstart Carteret is a young
professionals network which was founded in the county to provide support and guidance
to those wanting to start a business in the county. The chamber of commerce represents
900 businesses in the county and strives to improve the economic climate of Carteret
County.

Political activities:
A list of elected officials can be found on the Carteret County website. The Carteret
County GOP has a presence and a website. They have specific events listed on their
website. This past weekend, the affiliated Womens Club hosted the annual Reagan Rally
at the country club. The Carteret County Democratic Party also has their own website
with listed events. There are many events leading up to primary elections in a few weeks.
Modes of transportation:
In the county, it is advantageous to have a car, but there is a small mode of public
transportation. CCATS, the Carteret County Area Transportation System, provides public
transportation for residents and guests. They provide transportation to and from work and
Carteret Community college, non-emergency medical transportation, transportation to
beaches, shopping, and other places of interest within the county. There is also a fixed
route service between Wal-Mart and the courthouse. There is a local Amtrak bus service
to the train station in Wilson, freight train services, port services, and main highways.
Educational institutions:
Carteret County Schools has ten elementary/primary schools, five middle schools, three
high schools, and one alternative middle school/high school. Carteret Community
College is a 2-year community college. St. Egberts Catholic school and Annunciation
Catholic School are both located in Carteret County. Because of the proximity to the
water, Duke, NC State, and UNC Chapel Hill all have marine science facilities within the
county.
Availability of libraries and museums:
Museums in the county are the Beaufort Historical Association Complex, Cape Lookout
National Seashore, Core Sound Waterfowl Museum, Fort Macon State Park, The History
Place (Carteret County Historical Society), North Carolina Aquarium at Pine Knoll
Shores, North Carolina Maritime Museum. There are several museums including the
Carteret County Public Library, Western Carteret Library, Bogue Banks Library,
Newport Public Library, Down East Public Library, and the Webb Memorial Library and
Civic Center.
Information agencies:
The main newspaper is the Carteret County News Times. WITN and WCTI both cover
news in Carteret County but are based in other counties. Broad Creek Middle School has
their own FM radio station that broadcasts 24/7 from the school.
Technological resources:
There is a National Weather Service Station located in Carteret County. The Internet and
Cable are readily available within the county with many subscribing to Time Warner
Cable. Many of the high-the industries revolve around marine science. The county houses
the NC State Center for Marine Sciences and Technology, Chapel Hills Institute for
Marine Science, Duke Marine Labs, and the National Oceanic Atmospheric
Administration.

Recreational facilities:
Emerald Isle Parks and Rec, Morehead City Parks and Rec, Carteret County Parks and
Rec (Park facilities and walking trails), Ft. Benjamin Park Recreation Center, and the
Western Park Community Center. Many of these are open to the public and many hold
summer camps.
Religious institutions:
There are 12,690 Christian denomination churches in Carteret County. No information
could be found about any other religious institutions,
Housing:
There are eight low-income housing developments/apartments. There are several trailer
parks in the county. There are also multi-million dollar waterfront homes. The housing
market varies depending on where one is in the county, with the real estate on Emerald
Isle being most valuable. The percentage of renters is approximately 23%. There are
roughly 12,641 county owner-occupied homes or condos with a mortgage or loan, and
approximately 7,961 owner-occupied houses and condos that were owned outright.
Governmental units:
The Carteret County Board of Commissioners is an elected board. There are many
government organizations, services, and buildings in the county. The Health Department,
County Human Resources, Civic Center, County Attorney, Animal Control Services,
Planning & Inspections, Public Buildings, Public Works, Register of Deeds, Sheriff,
Shore Protection, Social Services, Veterans Office, Tax Office, and other governmental
units are available through the Carteret County website.
Medical care facilities and organizations:
Carteret Heath Care/Carteret General Hospital, Carteret County Health Department, VA
Morehead City Clinic, Coastal Pregnancy Care Center, Carteret Home Health Services.
There are no psychiatric or substance abuse hospitals in Carteret County. There are
several free clinics including free dental care in the area.
The School
Enrollment:
Croatan began the 2015-2016 school year with 920 students.
Grade Levels:
Croatan High School serves grades 9-12
Ethnic make up of the student body:
The demographics are 87% Caucasian, 4% are multi-racial, 3% are African-American,
3% are Hispanic, 1% are Asian, 1% are American Indian, and less than 1% are Hawaiian
Pacific.

Number of students whose second language is English:

There are four identified LEP students at Croatan High School, two of which are only
monitored and do not receive direct LEP services.
Socioeconomic status of the students:
It is estimated that about 40% of the students are economically disadvantaged. It is
juxtaposed with a population of middle class and upper middle class affluent students that
are also part of the student body.
Number of students on free or reduced lunches:
About 23% of the students are on free or reduced lunch but according to the SACS
re-accreditation done in 2013, it is estimated that about 40% of the students are
economically disadvantaged.
Dropout rate:
The graduation rate has been declining over the past few years at Croatan going from
88.4%, 84.2%, and 83.7% over the past few years. There is a correlation between the
struggling economy and the economically disadvantage student graduation rate.
Croatans graduation rate does remain above the state average.
Number of students enrolled in advanced courses:
There are around 150 students enrolled in AP classes and there are about 215 exams
administered. There is a high participation in AP courses with 75% of AP students
scoring a 3 or higher on exams.
Percentage of students going to college:
Roughly 62% of students from the graduating class of 2012 planned to attend a 4-year
college/university and 32% planned to planned to attend a 2-year college program. This is
roughly the same percentages each year.
Special education population:
There are 80 students identified in the Exceptional Children program. This does not count
the students that have specialized 504 plans. The students that fall under the EC umbrella
make up roughly 8.69% of the student population.
Standardized test scores:
Croatan High School has been an A and A+ graded school for the past two years. CHS
has a history of being a top ten high school in the state for over a decade. This is due to
high standardized test scores, ACT scores, and growth scores. Proficiency levels are high
in many different disciplines.
Courses or units of study emphasized in the curriculum:
English, Science, Math, Social Studies, CTE, Foreign Language, Arts, Internship,
Dual-enrollment with Carteret Community College, online

Apex/OdysseyWare/NCVPS/Blackboard courses, curriculum assistance, inclusion

classes, pre-engineering Project Lead the Way, AP courses 9-12, and a plethora of
electives.
Extracurricular activities available:
Band, BETA Club, Bullying Prevention, Diversity Club, Educators Rising, Croatan
Crazies, DECA, FBLA, FCA, FCCLA, FFA, Improv Club, Interact, Key Club, Math
Team, National Honor Art Society, National Technical Honor Society, Performing Arts
Club, Poetry and Literature Club, Anime Club, SADD, Skills USA, Video Game Club,
Speech and Debate Team, Student Government, Tri-M.
Number of faculty members:
There are eighty-six faculty and staff members.
Background of faculty members:
There are approximately 86 faculty/staff members consisting of three administrators,
fifty-nine faculty members, six certified support staff, and several other TAs and
personnel. Approximately 38% of faculty hold advanced degrees. Faculty live locally but
also several staff members commute from 45 minutes to over an hour away. Many of the
faculty grew up in the county or surrounding counties. Some graduated from other
Carteret County schools, or even Croatan. There are several that grew up out of state and
relocated to North Carolina.