voyager academy application

Admissions FAQ

Click on the + to find answers to the questions below.

How can my student be admitted to Voyager Academy?

The only way to gain admission to Voyager Academy is through the lottery process.  The only way to be included in the lottery is to apply during the Open Enrollment period that begins on January 1 each calendar year.  The Open Enrollment application will remain open until February 28th.  After this time, you can still apply, but the application will be placed at the bottom of the waitlist for whatever grade you are applying into.

How many people apply to Voyager each year?

Traditionally, each year, Voyager Academy receives in excess of 2,000 applications for approximately 150 total openings across all grades K-12 at the time of the lottery. Of those 150 openings, about 100 of them are for our incoming kindergarten. Therefore, there are typically only 50 total openings that are available across 1st – 12th grades combined each year. The majority of the 50 openings are typically in 9th grade. Also pursuant to the State guidelines, siblings,and  children and grandchildren of staff members and board members are given preference when there are open positions.

Please remember, each year is unique, and there may be more or less openings depending on student retention and other factors. 

What grades does Voyager Academy serve?

Elementary School is grades K – 3

Middle School is grades 4  -8

High School is grades 9 – 12

What are the school start and end times for Voyager?

Elementary School (Grades K-3): Monday 7:45 am -12:45 pm, Tuesday – Friday 7:45 am – 2:45 pm

Middle School (Grades 4-8): Monday 8:15 am -1:15 pm, Tuesday – Friday 8:15 am – 3:15 pm

High School (Grades 9-12): Monday 8:45 am -1:45 pm, Tuesday – Friday 8:45 am – 3:45 pm

Does it matter when I apply during the open enrollment period?

No.  As long as you apply during the open enrollment, which begins January 1 each year, your chances are the same as all others applying during that time.  For example, your chances for admission are no better for those that apply on January 1 as opposed to those that apply on February 28.

I’m not sure if I want to apply for admission right now. Can I do it later?

Yes, but if you do not apply during the open enrollment period, your student will not be included in the admission lottery.  We strongly encourage all who are interested in Voyager Academy to attend a tour and apply during the Open Enrollment period beginning January 1.  Otherwise, due to the volume of applications received, your chances of admission are nearly zero as your application will be placed at the bottom of the waitlist for your child’s grade level.

What happens if there aren’t enough applications to fill all open seats in a grade level?

If there are fewer applicants than slots available, all applicants will be admitted for that grade level.

What if we live in a county other than Durham. Can I still apply for admission for my child?

Students attending Voyager Academy may live in any county in North Carolina.

What if we are living out of state but are planning to move to North Carolina in the near future. Can I still apply for my child?

State law mandates that all applicants must reside in North Carolina at the time of application .   Charter schools can only consider out of state applicants if they have not filled their enrollment.

How can I increase my student’s chances for admission?

There are two pools of applicants: those in the preference pool and those in the general pool .  Those in the preference pool will be randomly assigned their placement prior to those in the general pool.

In accordance with state law, there are a few ways that applications can be given preference.  This preference does NOT guarantee admission, it only determines the order in which the applicants are assigned in the lottery process.  The following criteria may be used to allow students to be admitted first in the lottery to any open spots for the grade into which that student is applying. If there are more siblings/staff/board children/grandchildren applying than spots available, there will be a lottery held among siblings/staff/board children/grandchildren prior to the lottery for the general pool.

Lottery Preferences Explained:

1) Children and grandchildren of full-time staff may be given preference, so long as that total does not exceed 15% of the school’s enrollment (unless a waiver is sought from the State Board of Education) and they meet state guidelines.

2) Siblings of currently enrolled students who were admitted to the school in a previous year may be given preference, if they meet state guidelines. The law defines a sibling to include “half siblings, step siblings, and children residing in a family foster home” 

3) Siblings of students that completed the highest grade level of Voyager Academy and were enrolled in at least 4 grades offered by the school may be given preference, if they meet state guidelines.

4) A student that was previously enrolled in the charter school but left to participate in an academic study abroad program, a competitive admission residential program, or due to vocational opportunities for the student’s parents may be given preference. For this to occur, the child must have been enrolled at the charter school within the previous two school years.

5) Children and grandchildren of Voyager Academy Board Of Directors may be given preference, so long as that total does not exceed 15% of the school’s enrollment (unless a waiver is sought from the State Board of Education) and they meet state guidelines.

How do I know what grade to apply for, for my student?

You should apply for the next, natural grade level for your child.

My spouse and I are divorced. Can we submit separate applications for our child?

No.  If you do, one will be canceled.  Please consult with other family members and only submit ONE application per child.  Each applicant can only have 1 application in the system.  Duplicates will be deleted.

My children are twins. Do I apply for both of them during open enrollment?

Students who are twins, triplets, etc. must each complete an application. However, only one application will be entered in the lottery for those students. If that application is accepted, the sibling’s twin or triplet, etc. will also be admitted.

What happens when the lottery is performed?

Voyager Academy uses a third party, Charter Success Partners (CSP), to administer the lottery. The SchoolMint system is the platform utilized to run the random lottery. The lottery process is done one grade level at a time and verified before releasing results. Each applicant will receive an email or text from SchoolMint at the conclusion of the lottery that will notify you of an admission offer or wait list position for the grade you have applied.  You must abide by all acceptance and registration stated deadlines or the offered seat will be forfeited.

Do we have to re-apply every year to be included in the lottery?

If a student does not get a space through the lottery/wait list process, that student must re-apply to be considered the following year. However, current students do not have to re-apply year-to-year.

My child has an IEP/504. Can they be admitted?

What is required if I accept the seat offered for my student?

Accepted families who enroll in Voyager Academy, parents and students, must read and agree to follow the Voyager Academy policies and procedures.

Once the lottery concludes and you have received notice by text or email of whether your student was offered a seat, you MUST log in to SchoolMint to accept or decline the offer. Once you have accepted the seat, you will have access to the registration packet. You will then have until March 15, 2024 at 1pm to complete and submit the registration packet and documents electronically. You must abide by all stated deadlines or your child’s seat will be forfeited.

What if my student is offered a seat from the waitlist. Can we have a tour of the school?

If a seat becomes available and your student is called from the waitlist, there will NOT be an opportunity to tour any schools at that time.  Individual tours are not given.

My student was waitlisted? How will I know if they are offered a seat in the future?

Students not admitted through the lottery will be placed on a waitlist for the grade level indicated on their application. Students will be kept on the waitlist throughout the school year.  If a spot becomes available, we will contact the guardian in order of their wait list number. The information used to contact the guardian is taken from the admission application.  Wait list status can be checked 24 hours a day/7 days a week through your SchoolMint account where you made the initial application for admission.  You must abide by all acceptance and registration stated deadlines or the offered seat will be forfeited.  All lottery and waitlist communications will be sent through SchoolMint.

Does Voyager allow “hardship” transfers from other charter/private/public schools?

Does Voyager offer admission or lottery preference to students based on academic or athletic ability?

Is the admission lottery really random? I’ve heard people say that only certain kids are selected?

In accordance with all guidelines from the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction and the Office of Charter Schools, the lottery process at Voyager Academy is indeed random.  The application, lottery, and admission process is managed and operated by a 3 rd party provider, Charter Success Partners (CSP), and is executed using an on-line lottery management system called SchoolMint.  The managing director at Voyager Academy solely makes all decisions regarding numbers of open seats to be offered and works directly with CSP employees to communicate those numbers each lottery season.

Does Voyager have buses to provide transportation to and from school for students?

My child(ren) receive free or reduced lunch at their current school. Does Voyager provide that?

Yes, to families that complete necessary paperwork and qualify.

Does Voyager have any before or after school care? Summer camp?

Yes.  See the link under “Parent Resources” on the Voyager website.  Under “Extended Day Programs (Before/After Care, Enrichments, Summer Camp)”

https://www.voyageracademy.net/extended-day-programs/

What about Monday early release?

Mondays are early release at Voyager for all students.  (See “What are the school start and end times for Voyager?” above.) There are enrichments/after-school activities available on-site on these days.  Please see the link under “Parent Resources” on the Voyager website.  Under “Extended Day Programs (Before/After Care, Enrichments, Summer Camp)”

What type of calendar does Voyager use? Are you year-round or traditional?

Actually, neither.  Voyager is on its own calendar that is voted on by the Board of Directors.  However, typically, Voyager starts about 3 weeks earlier than the traditional public schools in the area and gets out of school prior to Memorial Day each year.  Please see this link to the upcoming school year calendars.

  https://www.voyageracademy.net/calendar/

Voyager Academy Elementary School

4210 Ben Franklin Blvd Durham, NC 27704 Phone: (919) 433-3301 ext. 4 Fax: (919) 471-3932

Voyager Academy Middle School

101 Hock Parc Durham, NC 27704 Phone: (919) 433-3301 ext. 5 Fax: (919) 433-3305

Voyager Academy High School

4302 Ben Franklin Blvd Durham, NC 27704 Phone: (919) 433-3301 ext. 6 Fax: (919) 620-0554

Voyager Academy  

(919) 433-3301

# 4,027 in National Rankings

Overall Score 77.19 /100

quick stats

Grades 9-12 Enrollment

Student-Teacher Ratio

Overview of Voyager Academy

Voyager Academy is ranked 111st within North Carolina. Students have the opportunity to take Advanced Placement® coursework and exams. The AP® participation rate at Voyager Academy is 44%. The total minority enrollment is 46%, and 23% of students are economically disadvantaged. Voyager Academy is the only high school in the Voyager Academy .

Voyager Academy 2024 Rankings

Voyager Academy is  ranked # 4,027 in the National Rankings . Schools are ranked on their performance on state-required tests, graduation and how well they prepare students for college. Read more about how we rank the Best High Schools .

All Rankings

• # 4,027 in  National Rankings
• # 111 in  North Carolina High Schools
• # 13 in  Durham, NC Metro Area High Schools
• # 516 in  Charter High Schools

Took at Least One AP® Exam

Passed at Least One AP® Exam

Mathematics Proficiency

Reading Proficiency

Science Proficiency

Graduation Rate

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Ranking Factors

How Voyager Academy performed nationally and statewide out of 17,655 nationally ranked schools and 576 schools ranked in North Carolina.

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Students/Teachers at Voyager Academy

These counts and percentages of students and teachers are from data reported by schools to the government.

Student Enrollment by Grade :

Student Diversity :

Minority Enrollment

Two or More Races

American Indian/Alaska Native

Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander is not included in this breakdown due to an enrollment of 0%.

Gender Distribution :

Total Economically Disadvantaged (% of total)

Free Lunch Program (% of total)

Reduced-Price Lunch Program (% of total)

Full-Time Equivalent Teachers

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Test Scores at Voyager Academy

U.S. News calculates these values for schools based on student performance on state-required tests and internationally available exams on college-level coursework (AP® and IB exams).

College Readiness Index

Subject Proficiency :

North Carolina administered the End-of-Course Assessments to high school students. These figures display how well the school as a whole performed in reading, mathematics, and science.

Mathematics

Subject Proficiency Distribution :

Overall Student Performance

This measures overall student performance on state-required tests.

Percentile Score on End-Of-Course Assessments

End-Of-Course Assessments Scores Relative to U.S. News Expectations

Somewhat Above Expectations

Underserved Student Performance

This measures the proficiency on state exams among typically underperforming subgroups.

Percentage of Underserved Students Who Are Proficient

Percentage of Non-Underserved Students Who Are Proficient

Gap Between School and State Among Underserved Students

College-Ready Student Performance

High school students take AP® exams and IB exams to earn college credit and demonstrate success at college-level coursework. U.S. News calculated a College Readiness Index based on AP/IB exam participation rates and percentages of students passing at least one AP/IB exam.

National Percentile on College-level Exams

Exam(s) Used for Index

Advanced Placement® (AP®) Student Performance

Many U.S. higher educational institutions grant credits or advanced placement based on student performance on AP® exams. This shows this school's student participation and performance on these exams if data were available.

Proportion of 12th Grade Class Who Took an Exam

Proportion of 12th Grade Class Who Scored 3+ on an Exam

Exam Takers in 12th Grade Class Who Scored 3+ on an Exam

Exam Pass Rate

School Data

School profile information is based on government data.

86% (somewhat below state median)

Grades Served

Charter School

Magnet School

Eligible for Title I Funding

This information relates to high schools run by this school's state operating agency. Many districts contain only one high school.

Total Schools

School Location

Voyager Academy

101 Hock Parc Drive

Durham, North Carolina 27704

# 111 in North Carolina High Schools

Nearby Schools

Ranked School

Unranked School

Best Colleges in North Carolina

Duke University

University of North Carolina--Chapel Hill

Wake Forest University

North Carolina State University

See all Best Colleges in NC »

Data are based on the 2022 - 2023 , 2021 - 2022 and 2020 - 2021 academic years.

AP® and Advanced Placement® are registered trademarks of the College Board. Used with permission.

International Baccalaureate (IB) data provided by International Baccalaureate of North America. Used with permission.

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Best High Schools in North Carolina

• # 1 The Early College at Guilford
• # 2 STEM Early College at N.C. A&T
• # 3 Onslow Early College
• # 4 Raleigh Charter High School

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4302 Ben Franklin Blvd Durham, NC 27704 Phone: (919) 433-3301 Fax: (919) 620-0554 [email protected]

Create Change

STEM Solution Seekers 

An innovative curriculum for primary school students.

We follow CA Common Core standards through textbook, real world examples, project based learning and multi-sensory experiences. What this means is that while the content will be comparable to other schools in the area, we will be focused on gathering a deeper knowledge base for students to call on through concept mastery. When students are able to participate in projects it helps to better connect them to the concept. Doing this all with a multi-sensory lens will help to ensure that every student, regardless of learning style, will be able to build on and call on this knowledge. In order to best serve our students we will be adopting a mastery based program developed in Singapore who is currently leading the world in Math and Science. Establishing this program will help our students to see and believe that math is a universal language.  

History in primary school is connected to four essential questions (+1 or 2 additional questions per subsequent school year). These questions focus on distinguishing factors between the past and present, building a neighborhood, what it means to be an American, and how people can learn to work together. Students will learn to be a historical detective as we create timelines and explore life in different timeframes. A key component of this teaching will be to discern different perspectives while contemplating the choices our students might make if faced with similar situations. Students will be invited to discuss their thoughts and feelings with friends and will be utilizing a specific set of attributes to describe individuals throughout time. This will help in establishing connections between individuals who changed our world. These frameworks meet and exceed recommendations for the state of California. 

GLOBAL STUDIES

If recent times have demonstrated anything it is the importance for representation in education. We need our students to be able to access culture in all of its forms from around our Earth. Culture is embedded into who we are as individuals. It is at the core of our being. We cannot expect that our children will grow to understand a culture if we do not allow them to see and experience it from around the world. 

Global Studies also combines with art and acts as another way to shine a light on the beauty of culture. Artists around the world will be featured as we learn about the glorious sights and sounds that come from their country. We will look at techniques, at different art forms and unique pieces that will help in establishing important features to that community. We will discover that art transcends language and communicates powerful emotion.

READING & WRITING

Reading and writing are strongly connected. It’s that simple. You cannot expect a child to become a better reader without simultaneously working on writing. The concepts blend and your brain is happier for it. The approach to reading and writing instruction will also follow a multi-sensory guide and will be inclusive of hand signs, song, art and a lot of adventure. Students will engage in writing workshops where they will be asked to spend time utilizing specific writing conventions. Students will also be introduced to a wide variety of writing styles and diverse authors. Books read together will focus on specific character traits, unique voices and will draw parallels to their own thoughts, feelings and aspirations. 

In the state of California, we have adopted the NGSS standards for educating students on scientific matters. These standards include concepts such as understanding life cycles, climate and weather, push/pull forces, habitats and elements needed for the survival of plant/animal life. These are concepts we regularly discuss through the year. Being that this is a focus of Lunar Landing, we have a great opportunity to be able to continue our efforts in experimenting and making science more assessable. 

EXPRESSION ART LAB

Art will be tied into each of our studies enabling each field to intersect with another, but art will also have its own dedicated time. I am calling this dedicated time Expression Art Lab.  This piece is critical to the development of our students as art not only serves to develop more refined fine motor skills but also serves to continually foster creative thought.  

In this course, we highlight a particular philosopher and carry their ideas into art. We then use art therapy and art expression techniques to further a discussion on a “BIG Idea” from the particular philosopher. This gets combined with an art lab that features an artist (both local and global) so that we can view and talk about their art, but also so that we can have a guide and see how artists use different mediums to create spectacular results.

This course offers vulnerability, acceptance, confidence, builds on healthy expression, and lays the groundwork for important life skills that can follow students into adulthood.

Interested in Enrollment?

Contact us for more information. 

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