Best Public Schools in Leland, NC

Leland, North Carolina, a growing town near Wilmington, is served by five schools—three elementary, one middle, and one high—covering pre-K through grade 12 through Brunswick County Schools and the Classical Charter Schools of Leland district, with nearly 4,900 students enrolled. One important caveat: Classical Charter Schools of Leland is officially listed as an elementary school even though it enrolls grades K–8, making it more of a combined elementary and middle school.

Families will find a big range in academic performance. Belville Elementary and Classical Charter are the strongest overall. Belville sits in the 64th percentile statewide and has the lowest chronic absenteeism in Leland at 11.8%, with standout 4th-grade math and 5th-grade science scores above state averages. Classical beats the state in reading at every tested grade 3–8 and posts very strong 8th-grade science results, but its state rank dipped recently to the 62nd percentile and some math scores trail the state. North Brunswick High is the city’s only high school: its graduation rate (89.7%) and Math III scores (75.5% proficient) beat state averages, but chronic absenteeism is high at 28.8%, and English II and Math I remain below state averages. Leland Middle is the clearest positive-momentum school, jumping from the 36th to the 50th percentile in a single year with large gains in reading, math, and science.

The area’s highest-need campus is Lincoln Elementary, which ranks near the 36th percentile and struggles most with reading: only 39.4% of 5th graders are proficient, about 16 points below the state. Nearly all students in Leland’s Brunswick County public schools qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, so Belville’s and Classical’s success is especially notable given that challenge. The bigger message for parents: Leland is not a one-size-fits-all district. Belville and Classical offer strong academics, Leland Middle is improving rapidly, North Brunswick is a solid but attendance-challenged high school, and Lincoln needs targeted early-literacy support.