Excelsior Classical Academy, 4100 N. Roxboro St.: kindergarten to grade 12, 1,023 students in 2024-25 and a D (54) state grade.
Last checked Oct. 12, 2026. Sources: the school’s website, the N.C. Department of Public Instruction’s 2025-26 assessment data and report card data, the federal NCES school directory and the NCHSAA’s 2025-29 realignment.
Excelsior Classical Academy is a tuition-free public charter school for kindergarten to grade 12 at 4100 N. Roxboro St. in Durham. It is not run by Durham Public Schools: charter schools have their own boards and no attendance zones, and any North Carolina child can apply. The school calls itself a college preparatory school with a strong emphasis on the liberal arts. It opened in 2015 with kindergarten to grade 4 and graduated its first class in 2024, according to its school profile.
Who to call
- Front office: 919-213-8585, 4100 N. Roxboro St.
- School website: excelsiorclassicalacademy.org
- Applying: the school itself, not the district; see How admission works below
- Zoned district schools for an address: the DPS school locator
| Address | 4100 N. Roxboro St., Durham, NC 27704 |
| Phone | 919-213-8585 |
| Grades | K to 12 |
| Run by | Its own nonprofit board (public charter school) |
| Calendar | Modified |
| Mascot | Flying Lions |
| State school code | 32R000 |
School leaders
Dana Coyle is executive director and grammar school dean; Carlos Rossie is middle school dean and Eleanor Young high school dean, according to the school’s faculty and staff page.
Enrollment and teachers
- State count: an average daily membership of 1,023 students in the 2024-25 school year, up from 1,017 in 2023-24, according to the state’s report card data.
- Federal count: 1,029 students in the 2023-24 school year, with 42 full-time-equivalent teachers, according to the NCES directory. That is about 24 students per teacher.
State report card
North Carolina gives every public school an A to F School Performance Grade, based 80% on achievement on state tests and other measures and 20% on academic growth, according to the state’s 2025-26 annual testing report.
| School year | Grade (score) | Growth |
|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | D (54) | Not met |
| 2023-24 | C (60) | Met |
The 2024-25 grade is the latest in the state’s downloadable report card data.
From the state’s 2025-26 school assessment data:
- At grade level or above, all state tests: 71.2% (state: 59.2%)
- College and career ready (Level 4 and above): 45.8% (state: 37.5%)
- Reading, grades 3 to 8, at grade level: 74.1% (state: 55.7%)
- Math, grades 3 to 8, at grade level: 69.1% (state: 59.6%)
- ACT composite of 17 or higher, 11th graders: 62% (state: 54.5%)
- Four-year graduation rate: 92.5% (state: 89%)
- Growth: exceeded expected growth
The full report card, with attendance, teacher and course data, is on the state’s NC School Report Cards site.
How admission works
Open enrollment starts Jan. 1 and closes in late February; families apply through Lotterease and hear the lottery results in the first week of March, according to the school’s FAQ. The school runs bus routes with neighborhood stops.
Charter schools are free and open to any North Carolina child. North Carolina law requires a charter school to hold a lottery when more students apply than it has room for. Charter schools do not have to provide buses or meals the way the district does, so ask the school what it offers. Our Durham public schools guide lists the district schools for each part of the city.
Calendar and bell times
Charter schools set their own calendars. The school’s own website posts its calendar; the state lists Excelsior Classical Academy’s calendar as modified.
Sports and activities
Excelsior Classical is a 1A school in the NCHSAA’s 1A/2A Conference D for the 2025-29 alignment, with Discovery Charter, Eno River Academy, Falls Lake Academy, Henderson Collegiate, Oxford Prep and Vance Charter, according to the approved realignment.
The Flying Lions’ teams and schedules are on the school’s athletics website.
Excelsior offers baseball, basketball, cross country, soccer, softball, volleyball, swimming and golf in grades 6 to 12, according to its FAQ.
Fall schedules and results are in our Friday night football guide and on our scoreboard.
More
- The school’s own website
- Every public school in Durham, with zones and report cards
- Our Durham schools guide for district calendars, enrollment and the school board
Frequently asked questions
What grades does Excelsior Classical Academy serve?
Excelsior Classical Academy serves kindergarten to grade 12, according to the school.
What is Excelsior Classical Academy’s school grade?
Excelsior Classical Academy earned a D, with a score of 54, in North Carolina’s 2024-25 School Performance Grades. In 2025-26, 71.2% of its state tests were at grade level or above.
How do you get into Excelsior Classical Academy?
It is a public charter school with no attendance zone. Open enrollment starts Jan.
What conference is Excelsior Classical Academy in?
Excelsior Classical is a 1A school in the NCHSAA’s 1A/2A Conference D for the 2025-29 alignment, with Discovery Charter, Eno River Academy, Falls Lake Academy, Henderson Collegiate, Oxford Prep and Vance Charter.
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