Kinston-Lenoir County, N.C., Offers a Range of Excellent Education Choices
Students in Lenoir County have plenty of excellent education choices, including charter schools, private schools, traditional public schools, an “early college” public high school, a local community college, and two four-year universities just a short drive away.
Public Schools
Lenoir County School District features a range of prestigious offerings, including the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme at Kinston High School, a nationally recognized pre-engineering program at South Lenoir High School, and cyber campuses that provide distance learning and video conferencing at three high schools. Each middle and high school offers the AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) program, which targets students with average grades and helps them prepare for college. And the opportunities are only improving.
“We’re on the brink of providing additional STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) education opportunities to all students,” says Ellen Benton, director of instruction for the Lenoir County School District. “We are involved in a huge effort to partner with the North Carolina STEM Collaborative, businesses, community organizations and higher education.”
The district is home to five high schools, including Sampson Alternative and Lenoir County Early College. Housed at Lenoir Community College, the early college high school aims to graduate students in five years with a high school diploma along with an associate’s degree or two years of transferable college credit. The district also has eight elementary schools, three middle schools and a K-8 school. Visit www.lenoir.k12.nc.us for more information.
Charter Schools
Founded in 1997, Children’s Village Academy was the first public charter school in Lenoir County. Children’s Village Academy boasts small class sizes and uses a variety of strategies and styles to reach all students. Find more information at www.cvatigers.com.
Kinston Charter Academy is a public charter school with an academic focus on science, math and Spanish. Visit www.kinstoncharteracademy.com for more information.
Private Schools
Arendell Parrott Academy in Kinston, a K-12 college preparatory school, draws from a 10-county region and is the largest independent school east of Raleigh. Find more information at www.parrottacademy.org.
Bethel Christian Academy in Kinston, which serves students in pre-K through 12th grade, is a ministry of Bethel Free Will Baptist Church. Visit www.bethelfwb.com for more information.
Nova Five Points Day School works with children 17 years old and younger who have been diagnosed with a mental illness, emotional disturbance or substance-related disorder. Visit www.novabehavioralhealthcare.com for more information.
Higher Education
Lenoir Community College in Kinston offers a wide range of two-year degree programs that allow students to move directly into the workforce. For those seeking a four-year degree, LCC’s articulation agreement with the University of North Carolina System allows a seamless transition into all 16 universities in the system and into most private colleges and universities. Visit www.lenoircc.edu for more information.
Two four-year colleges are just a short commute away. East Carolina University, www.ecu.edu, in Greenville is about 30 miles northeast of Kinston, and North Carolina State University, www.ncsu.edu, in Raleigh is about 75 miles northwest of the city.
Top-Notch Child Care
Lenoir and Greene counties boast many top-notch child-care facilities, with Lenoir County alone offering at least two dozen child-care facilities with four- and five-star ratings. The Partnership for Children of Lenoir and Greene Counties is a nonprofit organization that helps parents find quality child care. With a focus on kids up to age 5‚ the state-funded organization also provides technical assistance‚ teacher education and other support to local child-care centers. Visit www.partnership4children.com for more information.
