Can I use Lee County's school score to choose a house?

No. Use the Lee County school score as a first-pass county screen, then verify the exact district, attendance boundary, transfer rules, and grade pathway for any address you are considering.

Does SchoolsByCounty confirm school attendance boundaries in Lee County?

No. SchoolsByCounty publishes NCES and Census-backed public-school records. Attendance zones, magnet eligibility, charter lotteries, transportation, and transfer rules must be confirmed with local districts.

How should parents compare public schools in Lee County?

Start with the 19 listed public schools and 4 district entries, then compare similar grade bands and confirm the address-level rules locally.

Lee County Schools & Education

Name: Lee County, North Carolina Education Data
Creator: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/

Lee County, North Carolina

NCES 2022-23 public school data and FY 2022 school-finance data

School Score

29/100

Percentile-style score

Score Band

Lower Signal

Graduation Rate

87.0%

National avg 87.5%

Education Statistics

Graduation Rate

87.0%

National avg 87.5%

State avg 88.0%

Per-Pupil Spending

$6,400

National avg $13,239

State avg $6,969

School Score

29/100

Percentile-style score

State avg 40/100

State Score Position

#82

of 100 counties by score

Education Data Brief: Lee County

Measured School Summary

Lee County faces educational challenges with a school score of 29/100 and a graduation rate of 87.0%, falling below typical benchmarks.

Funding Context

At $6,400 per pupil, Lee County operates with limited funding, which may constrain staffing, materials, and extracurricular offerings.

Neighbor Context

Its school score is 29% below the North Carolina average, and its graduation rate trails the state average by 1.0 percentage points, while per-pupil spending is 8% lower 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

19 public schools and 4 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

29/100

Lower measured signal. Ranks #82 of 100 North Carolina counties with school score data.

Completion

87.0%

1.0 pts below the state average

Funding context

$6,400

$569 below the state average

School coverage

4 districts represented in the county school list.

Start with measured county context

The county-level signal is lower, so review individual schools and local records before interpreting the score. Compare the score, graduation rate, and spending together rather than treating any single metric as final.

Check the local school mix

Lee County has 19 public schools across 4 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.

View Public Schools Compare Counties

Parent decision brief

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.

Dominant-district county

Lee County Schools carries most of the listed public-school system, with 16 of 19 schools. Start there, then verify whether your target address sits inside that district slice.

State position

#82

of 100 North Carolina counties with school score data. The county score is 11 points below 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.

Lee County Schools

Elementary to high school visible

9,143 students

Elementary 8Middle 3High 4Other 1

16 listed schools in this county slice.

Ascend Leadership Academy: Lee County

High school only in this slice

547 students

Elementary 0Middle 0High 1Other 0

1 listed school in this county slice.

MINA Charter School of Lee County

Elementary school only in this slice

474 students

Elementary 1Middle 0High 0Other 0

1 listed school in this county slice.

Central Carolina Academy

Middle school only in this slice

272 students

Elementary 0Middle 1High 0Other 0

1 listed school in this county slice.

District reality check

Lee County Schools is the largest listed district slice, with 16 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?

Which charter, magnet, or virtual options require a lottery, application window, separate transportation plan, or address eligibility check?

Are the largest listed schools the ones our address can actually attend, or are they only county-level context?

Data Story

Lee County Composite School Score Falls Below State Averages

Education data brief for Lee County, North Carolina.

By Evan Brooks, Data EditorPublished Jul 7, 2026Reviewed by Evan Brooks, Data Editor

Lead metric:School score

Lee County reports a composite school score of 28.5, which is lower than the North Carolina state average of 40.3 and the national median of 50.0. The county's 10,436 students are primarily enrolled in Lee County Schools, which serves 9,143 students across 16 campuses. The graduation rate of 87.0% matches the national average but is slightly lower than the state mark of 88.0%. Per-pupil expenditure in Lee County is $6,400, falling below the state average of $6,969 and the national benchmark of $13,000. Charter schools make up 15.8% of the 19 public schools, a notable share for the region. The largest facility is Lee County High, enrolling 1,508 students. Schools are located in town and rural locales. Compare district boundaries before drawing conclusions.

Sources

NCES Common Core of Data
U.S. Census Bureau ACS

School Overview

Total Schools

in Lee County

Reported Enrollment

10,436

19 schools reporting

School Districts

districts

Charter Schools

16% of total

School Level Breakdown

Elementary9

Middle4

High5

Other1

4 School Districts in Lee County

Lee County Schools

Ascend Leadership Academy: Lee County

1 school

547 students

MINA Charter School of Lee County

1 school

474 students

Central Carolina Academy

1 school

272 students

19 Public Schools in Lee County

Sorted by reported enrollment. Dedicated profile pages are available for 2 high-enrollment schools; every NCES public school remains listed here.

NCES 2022-23 public school data and FY 2022 school-finance data

Search schools

Level

Sort

Showing 19 of 19 matching schools

Public schools in Lee County, including district, location, profile availability, grades, type, and enrollment.
School Name	Profile	District	Location	Grades	Type / Flags	Reported Enrollment
Lee County High	Profile	Lee County Schools	Sanford, 27330Town: Distant	9–12	High	1,508
Southern Lee High School	Profile	Lee County Schools	Sanford, 27332Rural: Fringe	9–12	High	1,234
SanLee Middle School	Record	Lee County Schools	Sanford, 27332Rural: Fringe	6–8	Middle	809
West Lee Middle	Record	Lee County Schools	Sanford, 27330Town: Distant	6–8	Middle	607
WB Wicker Elementary	Record	Lee County Schools	Sanford, 27330Town: Distant	KG–5	Primary	575
Ascend Leadership Academy: Lee County	Record	Ascend Leadership Academy: Lee County	Sanford, 27332Rural: Fringe	6–12	Charter	547
Tramway Elementary	Record	Lee County Schools	Sanford, 27330Rural: Fringe	KG–5	Primary	545
J Glenn Edwards Elementary	Record	Lee County Schools	Sanford, 27332Town: Distant	KG–5	Primary	532
East Lee Middle	Record	Lee County Schools	Sanford, 27330Rural: Fringe	6–8	Middle	531
Greenwood Elementary	Record	Lee County Schools	Lemon Springs, 28355Rural: Fringe	KG–5	Primary	530
BT Bullock Elementary	Record	Lee County Schools	Sanford, 27330Town: Distant	KG–5	Primary	485
Broadway Elementary	Record	Lee County Schools	Broadway, 27505Rural: Distant	PK–5	Primary	483
MINA Charter School of Lee County	Record	MINA Charter School of Lee County	Sanford, 27332Town: Distant	KG–7	Charter	474
Deep River Elementary	Record	Lee County Schools	Sanford, 27330Rural: Distant	KG–5	Primary	473
J R Ingram Jr Elementary	Record	Lee County Schools	Sanford, 27330Town: Distant	KG–5	Primary	408
Central Carolina Academy	Record	Central Carolina Academy	Sanford, 27330Town: Distant	6–10	Charter	272
Lee Early College	Record	Lee County Schools	Sanford, 27330Town: Distant	9–UG	High	272
Floyd L Knight Children Center	Record	Lee County Schools	Sanford, 27330Town: Distant	PK–12	Special Education	105
Bragg Street Academy	Record	Lee County Schools	Sanford, 27330Town: Distant	6–12	Alternative	46

Lee County High

Lee County Schools

Sanford, 27330 / Town: Distant

Profile9–12High1,508 students

Southern Lee High School

Lee County Schools

Sanford, 27332 / Rural: Fringe

Profile9–12High1,234 students

SanLee Middle School

Lee County Schools

Sanford, 27332 / Rural: Fringe

Record6–8Middle809 students

West Lee Middle

Lee County Schools

Sanford, 27330 / Town: Distant

Record6–8Middle607 students

WB Wicker Elementary

Lee County Schools

Sanford, 27330 / Town: Distant

RecordKG–5Primary575 students

Ascend Leadership Academy: Lee County

Sanford, 27332 / Rural: Fringe

Record6–12Charter547 students

Tramway Elementary

Lee County Schools

Sanford, 27330 / Rural: Fringe

RecordKG–5Primary545 students

J Glenn Edwards Elementary

Lee County Schools

Sanford, 27332 / Town: Distant

RecordKG–5Primary532 students

East Lee Middle

Lee County Schools

Sanford, 27330 / Rural: Fringe

Record6–8Middle531 students

Greenwood Elementary

Lee County Schools

Lemon Springs, 28355 / Rural: Fringe

RecordKG–5Primary530 students

BT Bullock Elementary

Lee County Schools

Sanford, 27330 / Town: Distant

RecordKG–5Primary485 students

Broadway Elementary

Lee County Schools

Broadway, 27505 / Rural: Distant

RecordPK–5Primary483 students

MINA Charter School of Lee County

Sanford, 27332 / Town: Distant

RecordKG–7Charter474 students

Deep River Elementary

Lee County Schools

Sanford, 27330 / Rural: Distant

RecordKG–5Primary473 students

J R Ingram Jr Elementary

Lee County Schools

Sanford, 27330 / Town: Distant

RecordKG–5Primary408 students

Central Carolina Academy

Sanford, 27330 / Town: Distant

Record6–10Charter272 students

Lee Early College

Lee County Schools

Sanford, 27330 / Town: Distant

Record9–UGHigh272 students

Floyd L Knight Children Center

Lee County Schools

Sanford, 27330 / Town: Distant

RecordPK–12Special Education105 students

Bragg Street Academy

Lee County Schools

Sanford, 27330 / Town: Distant

Record6–12Alternative46 students

Education Funding Detail

Annual Per-Pupil Expenditure

$6,400

State avg $6,969

Compare Nearby Counties

Review Lee County against other counties using the same NCES-backed metrics.

Open Compare

Browse Public Schools

See school-level enrollment, grade ranges, school type, and district affiliation.

View Schools

Frequently Asked Questions

Which North Carolina counties have the highest graduation rates?

Jones County (97.0%), Pamlico County (95.7%), and Currituck County (95.0%) currently lead North Carolina among counties with available NCES four-year adjusted cohort graduation-rate data. This answer is generated from the same dataset used in the county table and can change when federal data refreshes.

What is per-pupil spending like in North Carolina?

Across North Carolina counties with available NCES district-finance data, average per-pupil spending is $6,969. The highest current county values are Hyde County ($10,356), Tyrrell County ($9,655), and Orange County ($8,629). Compare counties in the table before treating the statewide average as representative of a local district.

How should I read the school score in Lee County?

Lee County has a school score of 29/100, which is a lower measured signal in this county-level index. This score is calculated from available NCES graduation-rate and school-finance data, with school-level records shown separately below.

What is the graduation rate in Lee County?

The high school graduation rate in Lee County is 87.0%, which is below the national average of 87.5%. This figure is based on NCES district-level data for public high schools in the county.

How much does Lee County spend per student?

Lee County spends $6,400 per pupil annually on public education, based on NCES district finance data. Current operating spending per fall enrollment, including instruction, support services, administration, transportation, and operations. It excludes capital outlays and debt service in the SchoolsByCounty methodology.

Counties with Similar School Profile

Caswell County

North Carolina

-0 pts

28/100

School score

Richmond County

North Carolina

-0 pts

28/100

School score

Washington County

North Carolina

-1 pts

28/100

School score

By Evan Brooks, Data EditorUpdated Jul 7, 2026Reviewed by Evan Brooks, Data Editor

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.

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