The primary purpose of the continuation high school at Carlsbad Village Academy is credit recovery. Students who are behind in credits toward graduating with their class may transfer voluntarily to CVA where the quarter schedule allows them to earn 80 credits per year.  Once students have remediated credit deficiencies, they may elect to either return to Carlsbad High School, Sage Creek High School or remain at CVA.

Carlsbad Village Academy is one of three alternative education programs in the Carlsbad Unified school District. All three programs are operated/run from the front office at Carlsbad Village Academy.

Continuation High School

Grade level: 10-12

Carlsbad Village Academy is a continuation high school serving students 16 years or older, in grades 10-12, who need extensive credit recovery options, flexible schedules to accommodate employment, family obligations, and/or other critical needs. Students are referred to Carlsbad Village Academy through a Guidance Team process with Carlsbad High School and Sage Creek High School and typically serves between 80 and 90 students at a time. 

The expectation in Carlsbad Unified School District (CUSD) has always been to support students at the continuation schools with the intent that each student will successfully complete the exact same graduation requirements as well as the same mandated testing requirements as every other student in CUSD. However, students come to CVA with a wide variety of needs or limitations. Typically, continuation school students experience many of the following factors: 

• Poor school attendance and low academic progress. 
• Family situations that include frequent movement, job loss, unstable family situations and dysfunction. Many of these families are at very high risk or actually “in risk.”
• Alienation from adult society and mistrust of the accepted social order 
• High-risk behaviors
• The large majority of our students’ families have financial hardship and many qualify for the free or reduced lunch program.
• Many of our student’s families have many chronic health problems that also contribute to poor attendance and lagging achievement, either directly or indirectly. 
• When our students graduate they are often the first of their family to earn a diploma. With these factors in mind, a significant part of the job for all CVA staff members is to successfully and compassionately challenge the significant socio-economic challenges and low expectations and mindsets CVA students often bring to our school.

CONGRATULATIONS to our Principle and Fearless leader on being selected as the Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce 2023/2024 Administrator of the Year!