Brunswick County Schools launches Brunswick Virtual Academy for county homeschool and virtual students

Brunswick County Schools announced the launch of Brunswick Virtual Academy, a state‑approved public virtual school intended for county residents who had been homeschooled or enrolled in virtual programs before this school year, Assistant Superintendent Jonathan Pascal said.

"We are opening up our first virtual academy," Pascal said, identifying the program as Brunswick Virtual Academy and saying it will be the district's 21st school. He added that the program is free and district‑managed while using Edmentum as its online curriculum platform.

The district described how BVA will operate: every course from first grade through 12th grade will have an assigned North Carolina‑certified teacher or subject specialist, with progress monitoring, regular grading and attendance expectations. Pascal said attendance will include a daily 10–15 minute morning virtual check‑in for each grade band and that students who complete work or engage in two‑way communication will be counted present on asynchronous days.

Pascal said state testing remains required for public school students and that those assessments must be taken in district facilities; the district will use the COAST magnet CTE school as the testing site and will base BVA administrative offices there. "Any student in any public school does have to have a state test," Pascal said, explaining that tests will be scheduled and administered in person.

BVA will initially prioritize county residents who have been in homeschool or virtual settings; phase one will accept students in grades 1–12 but not kindergarten. Pascal said students enrolled in BVA from sixth grade on will be eligible to participate in district athletics, provided they meet standard eligibility checks for grades, attendance and behavior.

The district emphasized family involvement and routine. Pascal said parents or guardians of elementary (grades 1–8) students should be available to support in‑home coursework (not to do the work for the child) and that families must be comfortable with technology and regular communication. The district will provide Chromebooks to students and offers synchronous tutoring and live lessons through Edmentum.

Special education supports are available, but Pascal said IEP and 504 teams must meet to confirm which accommodations can be delivered virtually; some accommodations may differ from those provided in person. "The IEP team will have the ultimate decision," he said.

Pascal walked through the application process: families must complete an online application on the Brunswick County Schools website; the application is distinct from enrollment and requires submission of academic records and residency verification. He named a district staff member, identified in the transcript as Beth, who will assist families with next steps (the transcript does not provide a full surname or spelling).

Key dates provided by Pascal include a priority application deadline of June 9, a decision letter by June 26 for priority applicants, and a required orientation on Wednesday, Aug. 19 from 3 to 5 p.m. at the COAST site. The district said it will continue rolling admissions after the priority deadline to plan staffing and placements.

Pascal closed by directing viewers to the Brunswick Virtual Academy page on the Brunswick County Schools website for the application, full timelines and platform demos; the recorded transcript spells the web contact variously as "bva bcswan.net" and "baobab bcswan.net," and families should use the district site for the official link.

The district did not provide enrollment caps or specific staffing numbers in the presentation; those details and program expansion beyond phase one were described as subject to future planning and staffing availability.