North Carolina Virtual Academy welcomes 4,000 students for 2025 school year
Sep 2, 2025
The virtual school is a public charter, meaning it is a tuition-free option spanning from kindergarten through 12th grade.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — North Carolina Virtual Academy is welcoming 4,000 students for the 2025 school year. Leaders say that’s due to many reasons; overall, they say it’s the right fit.
“Kids come to us for a variety of reasons,” North Carolina Virtual Academy Head of Schools Kristina Rodrigues said. “Sometimes we get professional athletes that need more flexibility, sometimes we get the students that have social anxiety, and the regular brick and mortar doesn’t — isn’t a good fit for them.”
Rodrigues said it was after the COVID-19 pandemic that the growth for virtual schooling became a popular choice for families.
“Obviously, it’s become a little bit more known that virtual schools are out there,” she said. “We really cater to those kids who are looking to drag their education in a safe location without those distractions.”
The virtual school is a public charter, meaning it is a tuition-free option spanning from kindergarten through 12th grade.
“So, that takes out that pressure for anybody who’s looking for different kind of education resource for their child,” Rodrigues said. “Having that tuition-free, and being a public charter school, means that your credit will transfer over — means that you’re having the same graduation requirements that you are in any public school in North Carolina.”
NCVA instructs students from across the state, including in Charlotte.
“They come in, they learn their systems, they earn some of the nuances — like we’re in Canvas this year, so they’ll go in Canvas, and they get almost three days of full orientation before they actually start,” Rodrigues said. “Plus, they get their diagnostics and other things and then they’ll actually start in their full classes next Monday as well.”
While orientation is already underway for the virtual academy, Rodrigues said they are accepting new students from kindergarten to sixth grade. For more on NCVA visit their website.