The Croatan High School Bands began in 1998 under the direction of Mr. John Champney when the new Croatan High School first opened its doors. After three years, Tripp and Alice Aldredge took over the direction of the program, leading it to where it stands today. Now, in 2010 the Croatan Bands begin a new chapter in their history as new director Mike Gillespie leads the program.  Since its inception, the goal of the program has been to seek excellence through musical performance. In the short time the school has been in existence, the band program has received high ratings in every phase of music evaluation – garnering more than 250 awards in ten years! Our members have won many individual honors, participating in many honors ensembles each year. Consistently, more than twenty percent of the band is selected for All-District, with several advancing to state auditions. In 2006 and 2007, the band had the fourth highest number of students in the NC All-State Honors Band. On a national level, the Croatan Marching Band has claimed five Bands of America (BOA) A class regional champion titles and was second in the A class Grand National Finals in 2006. The Winterguard is a Winterguard International (WGI) 10-time regional champion, A class world finalist, open class silver-medalist and the 2006 independent open world champion Winterguard. An important contributor to the community we serve, the various ensembles of the Croatan High School Bands perform more than 25 times each year.

A well-rounded music education program, the instrumental music program at Croatan offers: a unique opportunity to join hardworking youth together in a variety of challenging pursuits, a course of study to learn about music and performance, and a place for character development. The performance organizations under the instrumental music department include: the Croatan High School Symphonic Wind Ensemble, Croatan High School Marching Band, Croatan High School Jazz Ensemble, Croatan High School Chamber Ensembles, and the Croatan High School Winterguards. more...

Croatan High School, a North Carolina Honor School of Excellence, is steeped in a tradition of academic excellence. In 2007-2008, Croatan high school was designated a Honor School of Excellence in the state of North Carolina! The nearly 800 students are challenged through the rigorous curricula taught by highly qualified teachers in a technology-rich environment. Parent support for these standards is unparalleled.

Nestled along the edge of the Croatan National Forest and overlooking Bogue Sound, the 90-acre campus hosts a fresh water pond, access to the sound and forest, and an abundance of wildlife in the adjacent areas - certainly an area conducive to academic challenges. In addition, the campus hosts athletic facilities for its 21 teams, and the county is seeking funding to erect a state-of-the-art auditorium for the performing arts.

Small class sizes, highly trained teachers, motivated students, and involved parents create a climate at Croatan that permeates the school. As one enters the front door, it is obvious that the mission is education for all students. From the no-nonsense approach in the classrooms, to the boisterous support for the athletic teams, the students are exposed to high school from a bygone era combined with the most advanced teaching methodologies and technical support.

About Carteret County Schools

The Carteret County Public School System serves the students of Carteret County, a county located on the beautiful Crystal Coast of eastern North Carolina. From Cedar Point to Cedar Island there are 85 miles of beautiful coastal scenery, friendly towns, and 17 public schools that are committed to creating opportunities for all students to do their best and to succeed. The school system employs approximately 1,200 individuals and is the largest employer in the county. The system's student enrollment for the 2007-2008 school year is about 8,185.

The Carteret County Public School System ranks among the top systems in the state on academic achievement. Of the 115 public school systems in the state, Carteret County ranks 3rd in the state on the End-of-Course scores, which are administered to students in high school and 12th in the state on grades 3-8 reading and math scores combined. For the fifth consecutive year, the combined Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT) scores of Carteret County students both increased and remained above the North Carolina state average.