Lee County Schools & Education
Lee County, Alabama
NCES 2022-23 public school data and FY 2022 school-finance dataSchool Score
45/100
Percentile-style score
Score Band
Midrange Signal
Graduation Rate
91.9%
National avg 87.5%
Education Statistics
Graduation Rate
91.9%
National avg 87.5%
State avg 90.7%
Per-Pupil Spending
$6,537
National avg $13,239
State avg $6,270
School Score
45/100
Percentile-style score
State avg 40/100
State Score Position
#27
of 67 counties by score
Education Data Brief: Lee County
Measured School Summary
Lee County performs at an average level with a school score of 45/100 and a solid graduation rate of 91.9%.
Funding Context
At $6,537 per pupil, Lee County operates with limited funding, which may constrain staffing, materials, and extracurricular offerings.
Neighbor Context
Its school score is 13% above the Alabama average, and its graduation rate exceeds the state average by 1.2 percentage points, while per-pupil spending is 4% higher than the state norm.
School Data Brief
How to read Lee County before comparing districts
County-level education data is best used as a screening layer. It summarizes the local school environment, then points you toward the district and school records that matter for local review.
Local context that changes the interpretation
39 public schools and 3 districts are represented below. Use those school and district records to confirm whether the county-level context fits the neighborhoods you are actually considering.
Overall screen
45/100
Mixed county signal. Ranks #27 of 67 Alabama counties with school score data.
Completion
91.9%
1.2 pts above the state average
Funding context
$6,537
$267 above the state average
School coverage
39
3 districts represented in the county school list.
Start with measured county context
This county needs a closer look at district mix, school level, and local context. Compare the score, graduation rate, and spending together rather than treating any single metric as final.
Check the local school mix
Lee County has 39 public schools across 3 districts, so school-level fit can vary inside the county.
Verify local rules
Use this page as county-level context, then confirm attendance zones, transportation, special programs, and current school boundaries with local districts.
What Lee County school data means before you move
County averages are useful for screening, but parents choose addresses, grade pathways, and district rules. This brief turns the public data into the checks that matter before you sign a lease or mortgage.
Mixed school landscape
Lee County has enough school-level records to compare the local mix, but no single county metric should be treated as the answer. Use district shape, grade span, and data coverage together.
State position
#27
of 67 Alabama counties with school score data. The county score is 5 points above the state average.
Data confidence
Usable
3 of 5 county signals are present, and 100% of listed schools report enrollment. Compare schools, then verify missing fields locally.
K-12 continuity check
These are the largest visible district slices in the county data. They show whether elementary, middle, and high school records appear together or whether a family needs to investigate transition points.
Auburn City
Elementary to high school visible
9,492 students
14 listed schools in this county slice.
Lee County
Elementary to high school visible
9,312 students
14 listed schools in this county slice.
Opelika City
Elementary to high school visible
5,048 students
9 listed schools in this county slice.
District reality check
Auburn City is the largest listed district slice, with 14 schools. County pages do not prove address assignment, so verify boundaries with local district tools.
What the data cannot tell you
NCES records do not confirm current attendance zones, private-school options, transfer approvals, program capacity, transportation, or whether a listed school is available to a specific address.
Questions to ask before choosing an address
Which district actually serves the addresses we are considering in Lee County?
Do the neighborhoods we like fall inside the same district, or are we comparing different Lee County district systems?
What changes at the elementary-to-middle and middle-to-high transitions in the district pathway we would likely use?
If we need a program not visible in the NCES flags, which district office can confirm current offerings?
Are the largest listed schools the ones our address can actually attend, or are they only county-level context?
Data Story
Lee County graduation rates exceed state and national averages
Education data brief for Lee County, Alabama.
Public high schools in Lee County report a graduation rate of 91.9%, which is higher than the Alabama state average of 90.7% and the national benchmark of 87.0%. The county's public education system is divided among three districts—Auburn City, Opelika City, and Lee County Schools—serving a total of 24,880 students. Auburn City is the largest provider, enrolling 9,492 students across 14 schools, including Auburn High School, the county's largest campus with 2,143 students. Per-pupil expenditure in the county is $6,537, which sits slightly above the state average of $6,270 but remains significantly below the national average of $13,000. The school directory shows a diverse locale mix, with 18 schools in city settings, 13 in rural areas, and 8 in suburban zones. See the NCES Common Core of Data for school-level records.
Sources
- NCES Common Core of Data
- U.S. Census Bureau ACS
School Overview
Total Schools
39
in Lee County
Reported Enrollment
24,880
39 schools reporting
School Districts
3
districts
Charter Schools
0
0% of total
School Level Breakdown
39 Public Schools in Lee County
Sorted by reported enrollment. Dedicated profile pages are available for 6 high-enrollment schools; every NCES public school remains listed here.
NCES 2022-23 public school data and FY 2022 school-finance dataLevel
Showing 20 of 39 matching schools
| School Name | Profile | District | Location | Grades | Type / Flags | Reported Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Auburn High School | Profile | Auburn City | Auburn, 36830City: Small | 10–12 | High | 2,143 |
| Opelika High School | Profile | Opelika City | Opelika, 36801City: Small | 9–12 | High | 1,562 |
| Auburn Junior High School | Profile | Auburn City | Auburn, 36830City: Small | 8–9 | Other | 1,516 |
| Smiths Station High School | Profile | Lee County | Smiths Station, 36877Suburb: Large | 10–12 | High | 1,286 |
| Opelika Middle School | Profile | Opelika City | Opelika, 36801City: Small | 6–8 | Middle | 1,132 |
| Smiths Station Junior High School | Profile | Lee County | Smiths Station, 36877Suburb: Large | 7–8 | Middle | 934 |
| West Smiths Station Elementary School | Record | Lee County | Smiths Station, 36877Suburb: Large | PK–6 | Primary | 870 |
| East Smiths Station Elementary School | Record | Lee County | Smiths Station, 36877Suburb: Large | PK–6 | Primary | 815 |
| Beauregard Elementary School | Record | Lee County | Opelika, 36804Rural: Fringe | PK–4 | Primary | 769 |
| East Samford School | Record | Auburn City | Auburn, 36830City: Small | 7 | Middle | 742 |
| Drake Middle School | Record | Auburn City | Auburn, 36832City: Small | 6 | Middle | 711 |
| Beulah Elementary School | Record | Lee County | Valley, 36854Rural: Distant | PK–6 | Primary | 705 |
| South Smiths Station Elementary School | Record | Lee County | Smiths Station, 36877Suburb: Large | PK–6 | Primary | 645 |
| Wacoochee Elementary School | Record | Lee County | Salem, 36874Rural: Fringe | PK–6 | Primary | 621 |
| Beauregard High School | Record | Lee County | Opelika, 36804Rural: Fringe | 9–12 | High | 555 |
| Creekside Elementary School | Record | Auburn City | Auburn, 36832Rural: Fringe | 2–3 | Primary | 546 |
| Sanford Middle School | Record | Lee County | Opelika, 36804Rural: Distant | 5–8 | Middle | 545 |
| Lakewood Primary School | Record | Phenix City | Phenix City, 36867Suburb: Large | KG–2 | Primary | 543 |
| Beulah High School | Record | Lee County | Valley, 36854Rural: Distant | 7–12 | High | 533 |
| Cary Woods Elementary School | Record | Auburn City | Auburn, 36830City: Small | PK–2 | Primary | 520 |
Auburn High School
Auburn City
Auburn, 36830 / City: Small
Opelika High School
Opelika City
Opelika, 36801 / City: Small
Auburn Junior High School
Auburn City
Auburn, 36830 / City: Small
Smiths Station High School
Lee County
Smiths Station, 36877 / Suburb: Large
Opelika Middle School
Opelika City
Opelika, 36801 / City: Small
Smiths Station Junior High School
Lee County
Smiths Station, 36877 / Suburb: Large
West Smiths Station Elementary School
Lee County
Smiths Station, 36877 / Suburb: Large
East Smiths Station Elementary School
Lee County
Smiths Station, 36877 / Suburb: Large
South Smiths Station Elementary School
Lee County
Smiths Station, 36877 / Suburb: Large
Education Funding Detail
Annual Per-Pupil Expenditure
$6,537
State avg $6,270
Compare Nearby Counties
Review Lee County against other counties using the same NCES-backed metrics.
Open CompareBrowse Public Schools
See school-level enrollment, grade ranges, school type, and district affiliation.
View SchoolsFrequently Asked Questions
Which Alabama counties have the highest graduation rates?
What is per-pupil spending like in Alabama?
How should I read the school score in Lee County?
What is the graduation rate in Lee County?
How much does Lee County spend per student?
Counties with Similar School Profile
Data Sources
Education data sourced from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) Common Core of Data and School District Finance Survey. School scores are derived composite metrics based on available NCES graduation-rate and school-finance signals.
Data is informational only. Coverage varies by county and reporting year. Not for use as the sole basis for educational decisions.