Craven Virtual Academy

Craven Virtual Academy is an alternative virtual school in New Bern, North Carolina, serving just 117 students in grades 4–12 under the Craven County Board of Education. The district as a whole earns a middling 2-star rating, ranking 142 of 246 North Carolina districts, and CVA's results often fall below district and state averages. Because the school is so small—roughly 13 students per grade—its year-to-year percentages can swing dramatically. A single student's pass or fail on an exam, or a senior choosing to graduate or not, can shift the school's graduation rate by more than ten points. Parents should treat any single-year statistic with caution and look for multi-year patterns instead.

CVA has shown at times that it can produce strong results. In 2022–2023, reading proficiency at every middle-grade level beat the district and state, and in 2023–2024, 8th-grade science reached 80% proficiency, well above the state's 70.1%. More recent cohorts, however, have struggled: 2025–2026 data show 8th-grade reading at 46.7% versus 56.1% statewide, with science dropping to 46.7% as well. Mathematics remains the most consistent concern. Even when reading was strong, 8th-grade math proficiency fell from 30.8% in 2023–2024 to 16.7% in 2024–2025, and the latest End-of-Course results are especially troubling: Math I proficiency was just 10.5%, and Math III was 19% compared with 68.9% statewide. The graduation rate also swung from 94.4% to 52.0% in consecutive years, while the district stayed near 83%.

The school does have genuine bright spots. Its chronic absenteeism rate is only 9.7%, far below the district's 21.6% and the state's 24.9%, and the student-teacher ratio is a favorable 11:1—both signs that students are engaged and have access to support. Nearby Arapahoe Charter School, about 17 miles away, provides a useful comparison: despite serving a student population with higher economic disadvantage (86.75% free/reduced lunch versus roughly 50% at CVA), Arapahoe outperforms CVA on every common assessment, including 92.9% Math III proficiency versus CVA's 19%. The bottom line is that CVA's small classes and low absenteeism are real assets, but mathematics and End-of-Course proficiency are urgent areas that need attention in the coming years.