K–5 in downtown Wilmington, New Hanover County
A tuition-free K–5 public charter school in the historic Peabody building in downtown Wilmington. It gives children the classical foundation years: phonics and reading, cursive, Latin roots, history in order and character every day.
Join the list for enrollment reminders. When enrollment opens, choose your campus and grade to begin.
K–5 in the historic Peabody buildingLeslie Smith, Headmaster. 507 North Sixth Street, Wilmington, NC 28401.
Open enrollment for 2027–28
through
Join The List| Grade | Status |
|---|---|
| Kindergarten | Ask the office |
| 1st grade | Ask the office |
| 2nd grade | Ask the office |
| 3rd grade | Ask the office |
| 4th grade | Ask the office |
| 5th grade | Ask the office |
Openings for 2027–28 are not published yet. Call 910-785-8149 to ask about a grade. All campuses
Each number shows its year and source.
K–5
Reading, writing, arithmetic, Latin roots and history in order, taught to mastery with Direct Instruction.
CCS-America was named a 2024–25 Star School by the National Institute for Direct Instruction.
Source: CCS report-card letter (published on all four campus sites)
Year: 2024–25
Scope: CCS-America, one of three schools or networks nationwide
B CCS-America's own published claim or a reputable third party. Not yet re-verified against the original source.
Stanford CREDO's 2023 National Charter School Study named The Roger Bacon Academy network, which manages CCS-America, a “gap-busting” network in reading and math: above-state achievement, with growth for disadvantaged students as strong as or stronger than for their peers.
Source: Stanford CREDO, National Charter School Study III policy brief (2023)
Also: The Roger Bacon Academy release on CREDO (Jul 10, 2023)
Year: 2023
Scope: Network managed by RBA. CREDO's definition: above-state average achievement and growth for disadvantaged students as strong as or stronger than for their peers.
B CCS-America's own published claim or a reputable third party. Not yet re-verified against the original source.
Source: CCS report-card letter (published on all four campus sites)
Year: 2024–25
Scope: CCS-America, one of three schools or networks nationwide
B CCS-America's own published claim or a reputable third party. Not yet re-verified against the original source.
Source: Stanford CREDO, National Charter School Study III policy brief (2023)
Also: The Roger Bacon Academy release on CREDO (Jul 10, 2023)
Year: 2023
Scope: Network managed by RBA. CREDO's definition: above-state average achievement and growth for disadvantaged students as strong as or stronger than for their peers.
B CCS-America's own published claim or a reputable third party. Not yet re-verified against the original source.
CCS Wilmington opened in 2013 as Douglass Academy. It serves kindergarten through fifth grade; grades 6 to 8 are offered at the three CCS-America K–8 campuses.
Joy is part of the daily classroom culture. Teachers recognize good conduct and progress, helping children take pride in the skills they master.
Plain answers to the questions families ask first. Where a detail changes each year, the office has the current answer.
Reading taught through phonics, cursive handwriting, grammar, arithmetic taught to mastery, Latin roots, and history in the order it happened. Character is taught daily through the school pledge and the virtues it names.
Grades 6 to 8 are offered at CCS Leland, CCS Southport and CCS Whiteville, where students can earn up to five high-school credits before ninth grade. The closest K–8 campus to downtown Wilmington is CCS Leland.
Family stories are coming. We are recording short videos with CCS families at every campus. Until then, the best way to hear from families is to visit: call 910-785-8149 to arrange a tour.
Programs vary by campus and season. Ask CCS Wilmington which teams and clubs are running this year.
CCS Wilmington is the CCS-America campus in New Hanover County, in downtown Wilmington. For grades 6 to 8, the nearest CCS-America campus is CCS Leland, across the Cape Fear River.
Any child who lives in North Carolina may apply to any CCS-America campus.
Get directions to CCS Wilmington
Next school tour
Tour dates for the 2027–28 enrollment season will be posted here. Call 910-785-8149 to arrange a visit now.
K–5 in Wilmington, New Hanover County
507 North Sixth Street
Wilmington, NC 28401
910-785-8149
info@ccswilmington.net
Leslie Smith, Headmaster
School report cards, parent letters and family documents, organized by task. Published years identify the document edition.
| School year | Grade | Score (of 100) | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024–25 | D | 53 | NC report card |
| 2023–24 | D | 52 | NC report card |
| 2022–23 | D | 52 | NC report card |
| 2021–22 | D | 53 | NC report card |
| 2020–21 | Not issued | Not reported | Campus report-card page |
| 2018–19 | D | 53 | NC report card |
North Carolina issued no School Performance Grades for 2019–20 or 2020–21. Grades combine achievement (80%) and growth (20%); they are not the same measure as End-of-Grade proficiency. Links checked September 9, 2026. Full report-card history for CCS Wilmington.
No. CCS Wilmington is a public charter school. It charges no tuition, any child who lives in North Carolina can apply, and when a grade has more applicants than seats, a lottery decides.
CCS Wilmington serves kindergarten through fifth grade.
507 North Sixth Street, Wilmington, NC 28401, in New Hanover County. The historic Peabody building in downtown Wilmington. Get directions.
Open enrollment for 2027–28 runs December 1, 2026 through January 31, 2027. When it opens, choose CCS Wilmington and your child’s grade, then complete the school’s official application. No separate website account is needed.
Leslie Smith is the headmaster. The office phone is 910-785-8149.
No. CCS Wilmington serves kindergarten through fifth grade. CCS Leland, CCS Southport and CCS Whiteville serve grades 6 to 8 and offer up to five high-school credits. Ask the CCS Wilmington office how students move on to a CCS-America middle school.
Every year of CCS Wilmington's North Carolina School Performance Grades, with links to the state report cards, is in the report card section of this page. We publish the full record for every campus.
