Best Public Schools in Lillington, NC

Lillington, North Carolina, is served by six public schools — two elementary schools, one middle school, two high schools, and one alternative school — enrolling about 3,395 students in kindergarten through 12th grade, all part of the Harnett County Schools district, which holds a 2-star rating and ranks in the 30th percentile statewide. Poverty levels are high: roughly 74 percent of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, including about 99 percent at the two elementary schools, Lillington-Shawtown Elementary and Boone Trail Elementary.

Western Harnett Middle is the clear standout, the only school in the city with a 3-star rating. It ranks in the 60th percentile of North Carolina middle schools after jumping from the 38th percentile in one year, and its sixth-grade math (71 percent proficient) and eighth-grade science (68.7 percent) meet or exceed state averages. Western Harnett High holds a 1-star rating and ranks at the 20th percentile, with an 85.7 percent graduation rate and a 22.2 percent chronic absenteeism rate, better than the state’s 24.2 percent. Both elementary schools are low-performing 1-star schools, but they share a bright spot: third-grade math proficiency above the state average at Lillington-Shawtown Elementary (69.7 percent) and Boone Trail Elementary (71.3 percent).

STAR Academy and Harnett Virtual Academy are severe outliers in the other direction. STAR Academy ranks in the 4th percentile with a 0-star rating, a 29.6 percent graduation rate, and 81.7 percent chronic absenteeism, though its tiny enrollment of 31 students makes those figures especially volatile. Harnett Virtual Academy also struggles, with a 63.6 percent graduation rate and 54.1 percent chronic absenteeism. Reading proficiency drops sharply after third grade in the elementary schools: Boone Trail Elementary slides from 52.1 percent proficient in third-grade reading to 30.7 percent by fifth grade. The elementary schools spend more per pupil than the middle and high schools, yet they remain 1-star schools, suggesting the extra funding is not yet translating into strong results. The clearest opportunities for improvement across Lillington are upper-elementary reading and high-school Biology, English II, and Math I proficiency.