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Ignite Online Academy

Public, Virtual, Alternative Grades K-12

1128^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,492 North Carolina Alternative Schools

Better than 24% of North Carolina alternative schools

Summary

Ignite Online Academy is a small K‑12 alternative school in Durham, NC, operated by Durham Public Schools, serving just 363 students across a wide grade span in an online setting. The school has a high level of economic need, with roughly 58% of students qualifying for free/reduced-price lunch in 2024‑25, and its reported student-teacher ratio of 12.9 is lower than many nearby schools — a potentially favorable staffing picture on paper. However, the school’s headline outcomes are generally well below state averages and below most surrounding schools.

The most striking concerns are in graduation, attendance, and math. Ignite’s graduation rate was 71.9% in 2025‑26, far below the state rate of 88.8% and well behind nearby charter schools like Voyager Academy (94.8%), Triangle Math and Science Academy (94.8%), and Excelsior Classical Academy (92.5%). Chronic absenteeism affects 32.8% of students — about double the rate at most nearby charters, which range from roughly 10% to 18%. Math proficiency is especially low: Math I end-of-course proficiency was just 9.7%, versus 42.1% statewide, and grade-level math scores in 3rd, 4th, 7th, and 8th grades all landed well below state averages. Biology (19.1% proficient) and English II (35.3%) also trail far behind, and even other virtual schools like North Carolina Cyber Academy outperform Ignite on most end-of-course exams.

There are some bright spots. Reading is comparatively stronger, with 5th and 6th grade reading proficiency actually exceeding the Durham district average in 2025‑26, and 5th grade science has been above the state average in recent years. Chronic absenteeism has also improved significantly from a spike of 46.2% in 2022‑23. Still, the overall picture is sobering: Durham Charter School, located just miles away, serves a student body with a far higher poverty rate (99%) yet posts dramatically stronger graduation and math scores, suggesting that demographics alone do not explain Ignite’s challenges. For parents, the key takeaway is that while Ignite shows pockets of success in reading and science, its low math proficiency, high absenteeism, and declining graduation rates are critical concerns to weigh carefully.

363

Students ?

12.9

Student/teacher ratio ?

58.1%

Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?

5321 Ephesus Church Rd.
Durham, NC 27707

(919) 972-4400

District: Durham Public Schools

Racial breakdown:

African American:

47.9%

Hispanic:

22.3%

White:

16.5%

See top rated North Carolina elementary schools

Compare Ignite Online Academy to nearby alternative schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 16th percentile in 2023 → 6th in 2026

Worth a look

!Test scores below the North Carolina average (36% vs 59% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (24th percentile)

!Graduation rate below the North Carolina average (72% vs 89%)

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school36%

District avg53%

North Carolina avg59%

Elementary school

1,128^th of 1,492

North Carolina public elementary schools ?

Bottom 24%▲ up 3 pts since 2022

From bottom 21% (2022) to bottom 24% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of North Carolina Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

Middle school

587^th of 778

North Carolina public middle schools ?

Bottom 25%▼ down 2 pts since 2022

See the entire ranking list of North Carolina Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

High school

621^st of 662

North Carolina public high schools ?

Bottom 6%▼ down 10 pts since 2022

From bottom 16% (2022) to bottom 6% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of North Carolina High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

155^th of 246Durham Public Schools among North Carolina districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Elementary school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	28.3	1128 of 1492	24.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	26.3	1149 of 1490	22.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	34.0	1027 of 1505	31.8%	★★☆☆☆
2023	27.0	1138 of 1502	24.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	24.0	1193 of 1514	21.2%	★☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2024	36.0	636 of 924	31.2%	★★☆☆☆
2023	39.4	569 of 933	39.0%	★★☆☆☆
2022	34.9	623 of 927	32.8%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2024	46.4	778 of 1455	46.5%	★★☆☆☆
2023	23.5	1186 of 1459	18.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	32.8	1024 of 1458	29.8%	★☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2022	43.3	503 of 893	43.7%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	15.7	1339 of 1434	6.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	36.0	991 of 1437	31.0%	★★☆☆☆
2024	41.1	907 of 1450	37.4%	★★☆☆☆
2022	28.6	1060 of 1366	22.4%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	30.8	1057 of 1450	27.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	19.9	1256 of 1464	14.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	30.8	1069 of 1461	26.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	19.5	1245 of 1464	15.0%	★☆☆☆☆

Middle school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	27.2	587 of 778	24.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	28.8	559 of 773	27.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	28.8	572 of 793	27.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	22.3	642 of 784	18.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	27.7	581 of 786	26.1%	★☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	19.0	491 of 553	11.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	15.9	505 of 546	7.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	24.9	461 of 560	17.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	32.7	397 of 559	29.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	48.2	240 of 550	56.4%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	17.7	637 of 731	12.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	23.7	584 of 733	20.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	27.5	554 of 738	24.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	20.6	612 of 731	16.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	30.1	522 of 733	28.8%	★☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	26.0	448 of 562	20.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	28.5	428 of 553	22.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	40.9	328 of 541	39.4%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	17.6	657 of 725	9.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	29.8	547 of 729	25.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	23.9	617 of 743	17.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	32.7	480 of 689	30.3%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	36.1	472 of 736	35.9%	★★☆☆☆
2025	40.1	440 of 733	40.0%	★★☆☆☆
2024	28.5	560 of 751	25.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	22.4	609 of 747	18.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	24.7	583 of 748	22.1%	★☆☆☆☆

High school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	6.3	621 of 662	6.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	12.6	583 of 641	9.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	20.9	510 of 640	20.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	17.9	524 of 626	16.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	16.8	523 of 621	15.8%	★☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	23.4	368 of 450	18.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	18.3	392 of 440	10.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	26.8	329 of 437	24.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	36.4	249 of 434	42.6%	★★☆☆☆
2022	30.3	289 of 430	32.8%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	5.4	604 of 629	4.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	14.1	542 of 610	11.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	17.2	512 of 602	15.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	14.9	516 of 588	12.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	20.2	483 of 594	18.7%	★☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	6.4	468 of 474	1.3%	☆☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	5.7	606 of 620	2.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	12.6	574 of 606	5.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	19.6	516 of 613	15.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	14.4	515 of 544	5.3%	☆☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	6.0	599 of 624	4.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	11.6	565 of 601	6.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	23.2	473 of 607	22.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	21.3	484 of 602	19.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	15.3	520 of 585	11.1%	★☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	29.9	261 of 352	25.9%	★☆☆☆☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

Elementary school

Female (2024)47th percentile+15 vs school

Hispanic (2022)44th percentile+22 vs school

African American (2024)31st percentile~ school

Male (2025)27th percentile+4 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)7th percentile-18 vs school

Middle school

Male (2026)36th percentile+11 vs school

Hispanic (2025)20th percentile-7 vs school

Female (2026)13th percentile-12 vs school

African American (2026)11th percentile-13 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)9th percentile-15 vs school

High school

Special Education (2025)26th percentile+17 vs school

African American (2026)18th percentile+12 vs school

Male (2026)4th percentile~ school

Female (2026)4th percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)2nd percentile-4 vs school

Hispanic (2026)1st percentile-5 vs school

By subject vs North Carolina (2025-2026) ?

Science56%-12 vs state

Reading47%-9 vs state

English II35%-29 vs state

Math III35%-34 vs state

Mathematics30%-29 vs state

Biology19%-39 vs state

Math I10%-32 vs state

★

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Schools Near Ignite Online Academy

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking ()				Ranking ()				EOC Biology (2026)	EOC English II (2026)	EOC Math I (2026)	EOC Math III (2026)	EOG Mathematics (2026)						EOG Reading (2026)						EOG Science (2026)		Per Pupil Expenditures (2019)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/reduced lunch (2024-25)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score ()	Statewide Rank ()	State Percentile ()	SchoolDigger Rating ()	Average Standard Score ()	Statewide Rank ()	State Percentile ()	Rank Change from Previous Year	EOC Biology End of Course	EOC English II End of Course	EOC Math I End of Course	EOC Math III End of Course	EOG Mathematics 3rd Grade	EOG Mathematics 4th Grade	EOG Mathematics 5th Grade	EOG Mathematics 6th Grade	EOG Mathematics 7th Grade	EOG Mathematics 8th Grade	EOG Reading 3rd Grade	EOG Reading 4th Grade	EOG Reading 5th Grade	EOG Reading 6th Grade	EOG Reading 7th Grade	EOG Reading 8th Grade	EOG Science 5th Grade	EOG Science 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Ignite Online Academy	Public, Virtual, Alternative	K-12	5321 Ephesus Church Rd.	Durham	27707	Durham County	Durham Public Schools	No	No	Yes	No	(919) 972-4400	363	28	12.9	58.1%	60 (16.5%)	174 (47.9%)	81 (22.3%)	5 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	42 (11.6%)								(n/a)	19.1	35.3	9.7	35.0	25.0	15.4	42.9	46.2	20.7	28.6	16.7	30.8	66.7	53.8	44.8	53.6	60.0	53.6
UNC Hospital School	Public, Alternative	PK, KG-12	101 Manning Dr	Chapel Hill	27514	Orange County	Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 966-5009	0	15	.0	—	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)																			$135,341	$129	$135,212
North Carolina Cyber Academy	Public, Virtual, Charter, Alternative	K-12	2800 Meridian Parkway	Durham	27713	Durham County	North Carolina Cyber Academy	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	(984) 262-9237	2,461	144	17.0	—	1,071 (43.5%)	688 (28.0%)	401 (16.3%)	71 (2.9%)	28 (1.1%)	7 (0.3%)	195 (7.9%)								(n/a)	53.4	76.2	48.2	62.1	49.5	42.6	38.3	32.8	36.7	30.6	47.3	51.4	43.3	49.7	49.4	55.4	55.2	61.2
NC Virtual Academy	Public, Virtual, Charter, Alternative	K-12	4220 NC Highway 55	Durham	27713	Durham County	NC Virtual Academy	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	(919) 346-0121	3,482	186	18.7	—	1,480 (42.5%)	1,021 (29.3%)	497 (14.3%)	59 (1.7%)	45 (1.3%)	5 (0.1%)	375 (10.8%)								(n/a)	37.3	55.5	40.1	44.9	47.1	36.3	28.9	46.2	35.6	34.0	54.9	50.6	40.0	53.6	54.9	59.4	46.2	51.0
DPS Hospital School	Public, Alternative	PK, KG-12	DUMC Room 3605	Durham	27710	Durham County	Durham Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 684-5684	0	15	.0	—	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)																			$64,167	$195	$63,972
Durham Charter School	Public, Charter, Alternative	K-12	4621 Kemp Road	Durham	27703	Durham County	Durham Charter School	Yes	No	No	Yes	(919) 956-5599	1,010	73	13.8	—	17 (1.7%)	185 (18.3%)	783 (77.5%)	4 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (2.1%)								(n/a)	61.9	64.4	70.0	89.7	83.0	80.7	84.0	80.8	67.6	45.9	56.4	67.0	49.0	75.8	71.4	50.0	79.0	76.5
Excelsior Classical Academy	Public, Charter, Alternative	K-12	4100 N Roxboro Street	Durham	27704	Durham County	Excelsior Classical Academy	Yes	No	No	No	(919) 213-8585	1,032	42	24.7	—	410 (39.7%)	216 (20.9%)	304 (29.5%)	22 (2.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	80 (7.8%)								(n/a)	58.6	50.9	39.1	78.8	78.9	52.6	65.9	77.9	61.7	78.5	76.8	69.1	69.2	77.9	73.4	79.6	80.2	78.5
Voyager Academy	Public, Charter, Alternative	K-12	101 Hock Parc Drive	Durham	27704	Durham County	Voyager Academy	Yes	No	No	Yes	(919) 433-3301	1,360	101	13.4	20.4%	714 (52.5%)	348 (25.6%)	156 (11.5%)	43 (3.2%)	15 (1.1%)	1 (0.1%)	83 (6.1%)								(n/a)	73.6	70.4	65.1	83.5	85.6	83.0	58.3	76.5	71.7	68.9	73.1	78.3	68.0	74.5	79.2	59.2	81.6	81.6
Woods Charter	Public, Charter, Alternative	K-12	160 Woodland Grove Ln	Chapel Hill	27516	Orange County	Woods Charter School	Yes	No	No	No	(919) 960-8353	515	54	9.4	—	365 (70.9%)	21 (4.1%)	59 (11.5%)	32 (6.2%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	36 (7.0%)								(n/a)	86.7	97.7	52.9	91.1	81.6	92.1	72.5	85.0	82.5	84.2	84.2	86.8	95.0	92.5	75.0	81.6	90.0	89.5
Eno River Academy	Public, Charter, Alternative	K-12	1212 NC Highway 57 North	Hillsborough	27278	Orange County	Eno River Academy	Yes	No	No	No	(919) 644-6272	828	62	13.2	—	641 (77.4%)	36 (4.3%)	72 (8.7%)	10 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.2%)	67 (8.1%)								(n/a)	80.4	87.4	55.9	92.6	66.7	75.0	60.0	74.6	73.0	72.1	73.8	65.0	77.5	69.8	71.4	73.8	75.0	85.2

Frequently Asked Questions about Ignite Online Academy

Is Ignite Online Academy a good school?

Ignite Online Academy ranks in the bottom 24.4% of North Carolina alternative schools.

How many students attend Ignite Online Academy?

In the 2024-25 school year, 363 students attended Ignite Online Academy.

What is the racial makeup of Ignite Online Academy?

Students at Ignite Online Academy are 48% African American, 22% Hispanic, 17% White, 12% Two or more races, 1% Asian.

What district is Ignite Online Academy in?

Durham Public Schools

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Latest North Carolina data All new data »

2017–18 through 2025–26 attendance data & graduation ratesSep 2, 2026

2025–26 EOC & EOG test scoresSep 2, 2026

2016–17 through 2024–25 graduation ratesSep 3, 2025

2024–25 EOC & EOG test scoresSep 3, 2025

SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the North Carolina Dept of Public Instruction.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.