The top reported proficiency rate is 17% in English language arts. The lowest is 16% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on D.c. Virgo Preparatory Academy
D.C. Virgo Preparatory Academy is a small K-8 public school operated by the University of North Carolina Wilmington as a lab school, serving fewer than two hundred students on the UNCW campus in Wilmington. It is an open-enrollment school available to any kindergarten-age child in New Hanover County or students already attending designated feeder schools across the city, with priority given in application order.
The school's identity is rooted in a whole-child, year-round pedagogical model that integrates health, wellness, and sustainability into daily instruction. It earned a U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon School designation in 2021. Learning is organized around inquiry-based, experiential practices, with on-campus learning gardens, Friday enrichment offerings, and direct access to UNCW's campus and community partnerships. This structure is fundamentally different from a traditional neighborhood elementary or middle school, and families considering it should understand they are choosing an intentionally designed university-backed learning environment with a specific pedagogical character.
The school is embedded in a high-poverty context. An overwhelming share of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch. The enrollment is predominantly Black, with a small number of students of other racial and ethnic backgrounds. Enrollment data on English learners and special education populations were not publicly available.
Academic results are notably low. On the most recent state testing data available, the school's English language arts proficiency rate was in the low double digits. The math proficiency rate was at or below one percent. The science proficiency rate, also measured on a smaller tested group, was similarly low. These results reflect significant academic gaps relative to grade-level standards. A parent should understand that this school is currently not meeting most students at grade-level expectations in core subjects, and they should engage directly with the school about what supports and instructional approaches are in place to address this, and what their own child's pathway to proficiency would look like.
The school sits in Wilmington proper, a mid-sized coastal city with a historic downtown along the Cape Fear River and a mixed economy anchored by Novant Health, UNCW, GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy, clinical research, fintech (particularly nCino), and a long-established film production presence. The city is experiencing sustained population growth and rising housing costs; the region ranked highly for metro-area growth in recent years, and median home prices have roughly doubled over the past decade. Residential expansion is pushing into surrounding counties. A walkable downtown district contrasts with auto-oriented suburban neighborhoods and campus-style nodes; the school itself operates from the UNCW campus rather than a traditional neighborhood location.
For a family, D.C. Virgo offers a distinctive pedagogical pathway with direct university partnership and a year-round, experientially grounded curriculum—assets worth evaluating carefully. But the gap between current academic performance and grade-level standards is substantial, and families should ask the school directly what its improvement trajectory is, what evidence exists that its model is raising proficiency, and whether it is the right fit given their child's starting point and learning needs.
See more original research from School Decision →