Burlington Online High School
An independent online school serving grades 9-12 in Burlington, NC. Not a district program. Not a charter lottery. A school-issued diploma from an independent school that follows the student, not the calendar.
How does a Burlington family withdraw from Alamance-Burlington schools to enroll in an independent online high school?
Families in Alamance County follow a four-step process to leave ABSS and enroll in an independent online school. First, submit written notice to the student’s current school that the student is withdrawing to attend an independent school. Second, file a Notice of Intent with the NC Division of Non-Public Education, a one-page form that satisfies the state’s compulsory attendance requirement and takes about ten minutes to complete online. Third, request the student’s official transcript from ABSS before the withdrawal is final. Fourth, submit that transcript for a credit evaluation before enrollment begins. No district approval is required, and a counselor walks through every step on the first call.
Online high school courses for Burlington students, grades 9-12
Every course is self-paced and taught by certified teachers. Browse the full high school course catalog or ask a counselor to match courses to your student’s existing transcript from ABSS or another school.
The foundation year. Core academics, electives, and the credits that start the diploma path.
- Biology
- Algebra 1
- U.S. History
- Art History
- English 1
- Physical Education / Life Management
- Elective (foreign language, fine art, CTE)
Core academics deepen. Geometry, Chemistry, English II, and college-readiness coursework.
The year colleges look at hardest. Algebra II, U.S. History, English III, SAT/ACT prep built in.
- Pre-Calculus
- U.S. Government
- English 3
- Economics
- Foreign Language II
- Elective or honors course
Graduation path, senior project, college-prep English, economics and government.
Who Burlington families bring to this school
Burlington is a working-class city with a strong manufacturing base, a growing healthcare sector, and a significant share of families who move in and out of the area following employment. The Alamance-Burlington School System serves a large and diverse student population, and for many families it works. For others, the schedule, the commute, the calendar, or the building itself stopped fitting.
The student who holds a part-time job at a distribution center and cannot reliably be in a classroom at 7:45 a.m. The family that relocated from a different state and whose student arrived mid-semester with a transcript that does not map cleanly to ABSS requirements. The competitive athlete who trains five days a week and misses classes when tournaments run through Wednesday. The student whose anxiety climbed until school itself became the source of the problem. Documented safety incidents in schools push thousands of families nationally to look for a building-free option each year.
Whatever brought the family here, the path in is the same: speak with a counselor, send the transcript, and map the credits before making any decision.
“He works 25 hours a week. The bell schedule just is not designed for that.
The working teen
“We moved in October. Getting her ABSS credits accepted took longer than we had.
The relocated family
“Travel tournaments run through Thursdays. The school counted every absence.
The competitive athlete
“She stopped going. The building was the problem, not the learning.
The anxious student
An independent school, not an Alamance-Burlington district program
ABSS runs its own virtual and alternative programs, and families sometimes call asking whether this is one of them.
It is not. High School of America is an independent school, not a district program, not a charter school, not a state-run virtual option. Enrollment does not go through the Alamance-Burlington School System or any district portal. The academic calendar does not follow the ABSS school year. The diploma and official transcript come from the school, not the district.
North Carolina recognizes independent schools under state statute. Families who enroll file a Notice of Intent with the NC Division of Non-Public Education, not with ABSS. Once filed, the student is legally enrolled in an independent school and satisfies the state’s compulsory attendance requirement outside the district’s jurisdiction.
Colleges, military branches, employers, and the NCAA recognize independent school diplomas. A counselor explains every detail on the first call. Ready to start? Enroll today or call us at (888) 242-4262.
A schedule built around what Burlington students actually do
The city sits along the I-85 corridor, where manufacturing shifts, distribution-center hours, and healthcare schedules push families into non-standard rhythms. The area also draws competitive athletes who train outside traditional school windows. Every course at this school is asynchronous, with no live attendance requirement, no synchronized class period, and no penalty policy tied to a fixed school-day block.
A student who works a closing shift on Tuesday does coursework on Wednesday morning.
A student whose soccer tournament runs through Thursday completes assignments on Sunday evening. A student who is managing a health condition works through the curriculum at the pace that the week allows. A student whose family relocated mid-semester picks up exactly where they left off, without losing the calendar time the move consumed.
The monthly pacing target is set with the counselor. The student reaches it in whatever window their schedule allows. The diploma requirement stays the same regardless of when the work gets done.
Bringing credits from ABSS or any other school
Families arrive from ABSS schools, from homeschool programs, from out-of-state districts, and from other online schools that did not work out. Every enrollment starts with a credit evaluation. A counselor reviews the existing transcript and maps every credit earned against the diploma requirements before the first course is selected.
Families do not start over. A student who completed two years in the Alamance-Burlington system carries those credits into this program. A student who moved here from Virginia last month brings that transcript. A student who did a year of structured homeschool with recorded grades transfers those credits too. The evaluation is at no charge and happens before enrollment, so the family knows exactly where the student stands before committing to anything.
After enrollment, the credit transfer process takes one to two weeks. The counselor confirms which credits are accepted and builds a course list based on what remains. Students who need credit recovery get a specific plan. Students who are ahead of schedule get an accelerated path to graduation.
- Day 1Submit existing transcript to the counselor
- Days 1-3Counselor maps every credit, identifies gaps
- Days 3-7Course selection based on remaining requirements
- Week 2Student begins coursework with accepted credit record
What Burlington students need to graduate
North Carolina sets minimum credit requirements for high school graduation. This school’s diploma program meets those standards and guides each student toward them through an individualized graduation plan built at enrollment. A counselor reviews the transcript, maps remaining credits, and lays out the realistic timeline to graduation in the first counselor session.
The National Center for Education Statistics tracks high school completion rates and credit frameworks across the country. North Carolina’s requirements cover English, mathematics, science, social studies, and electives. Students who arrive with accepted credits from ABSS or another school count those credits toward graduation. Students who are behind on credits get a recovery plan. Students who are ahead get an accelerated path.
The high school diploma issued at graduation is a recognized, school-issued credential. Colleges, military branches, employers, and the NCAA accept it without a district stamp. The official transcript records every course completed, every grade earned, and every credit awarded. Both documents travel with the student wherever they go next.
Earn your high school diploma online in Burlington
High School of America issues a recognized independent school diploma to every student who completes the credit requirements. The diploma comes with an official transcript formatted for college applications, employer verification, and military service branch review. Students who complete coursework in the spring can participate in a graduation ceremony. Students who finish mid-year receive their diploma and transcript as soon as the final credit clears.
Colleges and universities nationwide accept applicants with independent school diplomas. Military branches accept the transcript for enlistment. The NCAA recognizes independent school coursework for student-athletes. Students from Alamance County have used this diploma to enroll at Elon University, UNC Greensboro, Alamance Community College, and schools across the state and country. Questions? Call us at (888) 242-4262 or enroll directly.
For the working teen, the athlete, the student who needed a different pace, the student who left a situation that stopped feeling safe: this is the credential that says they finished.
Send your transcript, a counselor maps every credit
Upload your student’s current transcript and a counselor maps every credit earned against the diploma requirements. You will know exactly where the student stands and what comes next before the first course begins.
No lottery. No district approval. Enroll any month.
ABSS enrollment windows close in the spring. This one does not. A student can start in August, January, or any Monday of the year. Speak with a counselor today.
Across North Carolina
Same diploma, same teachers, wherever the family lands. Where Burlington families look next.