Beta You're viewing our redesigned school list. Prefer the classic layout?

Best Public Schools in Lee County, NC

At a glance

Schools

10,641

Students

Districts

5-star school

Top rankedLee Early College65^th of 641 North Carolina high schools

▲

Biggest riser

West Lee Middle up 144 spots statewide this year

◉

Smallest classes

Rising Leaders Academy 9.9 students per teacher

✦

Newly ranked this year

Bragg Street Academy

SchoolDigger ratings

3★

2★

1★

3 schools without a SchoolDigger rating (too few tested students)

See the top-ranked North Carolina schools →

Load more schools when map is moved

Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				EOC Biology (2025)	EOC English II (2025)	EOC Math I (2025)	EOC Math III (2025)	EOG Mathematics (2025)						EOG Reading (2025)						EOG Science (2025)		Per Pupil Expenditures (2019)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	Rank Change from Previous Year	EOC Biology End of Course	EOC English II End of Course	EOC Math I End of Course	EOC Math III End of Course	EOG Mathematics 3rd Grade	EOG Mathematics 4th Grade	EOG Mathematics 5th Grade	EOG Mathematics 6th Grade	EOG Mathematics 7th Grade	EOG Mathematics 8th Grade	EOG Reading 3rd Grade	EOG Reading 4th Grade	EOG Reading 5th Grade	EOG Reading 6th Grade	EOG Reading 7th Grade	EOG Reading 8th Grade	EOG Science 5th Grade	EOG Science 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Ascend Leadership Academy: Lee County	Public, Charter	6-12	283 Harvey Faulk Road	Sanford	27332	Lee County	Ascend Leadership Academy: Lee County	Yes	No	No	Yes	(919) 842-5411	628	46	13.5		340 (54.1%)	81 (12.9%)	129 (20.5%)	8 (1.3%)	4 (0.6%)	1 (0.2%)	65 (10.4%)	65.4	201^st of 641 public high schools	68.6%		61.1	228^th of 640 public high schools	64.4%	27	53.6	71.6	45.0	85.2				67.8	57.8	45.6				62.2	55.6	61.1		73.3
Ascend Leadership Remote Academy	Public, Virtual, Charter	6-8	283 Harvey Faulk Rd	Sanford	27332	Lee County	Ascend Leadership Academy: Lee County	Yes	(n/a)	Yes	(n/a)	(919) 842-5411	27				14 (51.9%)	4 (14.8%)	4 (14.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (18.5%)								(n/a)									43.8	6.3					43.8	31.3		50.0
Rising Leaders Academy	Public, Charter	K-8	2732 Industrial Drive	Sanford	27332	Lee County	Rising Leaders Academy	Yes	No	No	Yes	(919) 745-1442	282	28	9.9	98.2%	55 (19.5%)	107 (37.9%)	84 (29.8%)	4 (1.4%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	31 (11.0%)	18	1315^th of 1490 public elementary schools	11.7%		27.8	1144^th of 1505 public elementary schools	24.0%	171					22.7	48.5	18.9	47.1	63.6		22.7	48.5	37.8	52.9	45.5		40.5
Central Carolina Academy	Public, Charter	6-12	1801 Douglas Drive	Sanford	27330	Lee County	Central Carolina Academy	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(984) 977-9455	536	35	15.4	26.5%	377 (70.3%)	26 (4.9%)	82 (15.3%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	50 (9.3%)								(n/a)	59.2	67.9	69.2	87.8				72.3	81.6	87.8				71.4	52.9	70.4		84.7
Broadway Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	307 S Main St	Broadway	27505	Lee County	Lee County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(919) 258-3828	490	31	15.5	96.9%	150 (30.6%)	80 (16.3%)	237 (48.4%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (4.1%)	18.4	1310^th of 1490 public elementary schools	12.1%		14.9	1364^th of 1505 public elementary schools	9.4%	54					53.1	41.7	48.7				27.2	37.5	27.6				39.5		$9,542	$1,101	$8,441
Deep River Elementary	Public	K-5	4000 Deep River Rd	Sanford	27330	Lee County	Lee County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(919) 776-2722	557	34	16.3	96.8%	159 (28.5%)	86 (15.4%)	267 (47.9%)	5 (0.9%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	38 (6.8%)	56.7	617^th of 1490 public elementary schools	58.6%		60.9	567^th of 1505 public elementary schools	62.3%	50					63.5	68.2	71.6				30.2	55.3	53.4				72.7		$9,663	$1,381	$8,282
East Lee Middle	Public	6-8	1337 Broadway Rd	Sanford	27330	Lee County	Lee County Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 776-8441	526	34	15.4	97.5%	148 (28.1%)	111 (21.1%)	233 (44.3%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	32 (6.1%)	19.1	645^th of 773 public middle schools	16.6%		28.2	577^th of 793 public middle schools	27.2%	68								39.0	44.4	25.1				35.3	36.3	36.8		36.6	$8,028	$700	$7,329
Floyd L Knight Children Center	Public, Alternative	PK, KG-12	607 W McIntosh St	Sanford	27330	Lee County	Lee County Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 774-4634	95	13	7.3	96.8%	37 (38.9%)	12 (12.6%)	37 (38.9%)	2 (2.1%)	2 (2.1%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (5.3%)								(n/a)																			$47,095	$6,765	$40,330
Lee County High	Public	9-12	1708 Nash Street	Sanford	27330	Lee County	Lee County Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 776-7541	1,459	74	19.8	98.9%	416 (28.5%)	336 (23.0%)	640 (43.9%)	12 (0.8%)	5 (0.3%)	1 (0.1%)	49 (3.4%)	24.1	501^st of 641 public high schools	21.8%		25.7	477^th of 640 public high schools	25.5%	24	31.9	36.0	13.0	61.9															$9,332	$595	$8,737
West Lee Middle	Public	6-8	3301 Wicker St	Sanford	27330	Lee County	Lee County Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 775-7351	522	38	13.7	96.9%	102 (19.5%)	97 (18.6%)	287 (55.0%)	3 (0.6%)	2 (0.4%)	1 (0.2%)	30 (5.7%)	29.2	553^rd of 773 public middle schools	28.5%		16.1	697^th of 793 public middle schools	12.1%	144								41.6	38.6	38.1				41.9	43.7	49.7		40.9	$8,316	$876	$7,440
Bragg Street Academy	Public	6-12	504 Bragg Street	Sanford	27330	Lee County	Lee County Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 775-2686	40	6	6.4	90.0%	7 (17.5%)	18 (45.0%)	14 (35.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (2.5%)	2.8	632^nd of 641 public high schools	1.4%					(n/a)	10.0	9.1																	$20,791	$253	$20,538
J Glenn Edwards Elementary	Public	K-5	3115 Cemetery Rd	Sanford	27332	Lee County	Lee County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(919) 774-3733	587	36	16.4	99.5%	179 (30.5%)	98 (16.7%)	272 (46.3%)	7 (1.2%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.3%)	28 (4.8%)	41.6	888^th of 1490 public elementary schools	40.4%		54.8	664^th of 1505 public elementary schools	55.9%	224					63.9	54.9	55.5				38.0	42.4	45.5				61.8		$9,176	$1,462	$7,714
J R Ingram Junior Elementary	Public	K-5	3309 Wicker St	Sanford	27330	Lee County	Lee County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(919) 774-3772	419	30	13.9	99.3%	163 (38.9%)	95 (22.7%)	126 (30.1%)	2 (0.5%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	32 (7.6%)	42.1	877^th of 1490 public elementary schools	41.1%		48.9	764^th of 1505 public elementary schools	49.2%	113					70.3	52.3	42.9				48.4	56.8	45.7				45.7		$9,063	$1,217	$7,846
Greenwood Elementary	Public	K-5	1127 Greenwood Rd	Sanford	27330	Lee County	Lee County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(919) 776-0506	571	39	14.8	99.5%	246 (43.1%)	61 (10.7%)	220 (38.5%)	2 (0.4%)	2 (0.4%)	1 (0.2%)	39 (6.8%)	65.6	470^th of 1490 public elementary schools	68.5%		69.7	414^th of 1505 public elementary schools	72.5%	56					75.5	67.3	69.7				44.1	70.2	56.2				57.3		$9,213	$1,139	$8,074
BT Bullock Elementary	Public	K-5	1410 McNeill Road	Sanford	27330	Lee County	Lee County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(919) 718-0160	511	34	15.1	99.4%	173 (33.9%)	100 (19.6%)	213 (41.7%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	24 (4.7%)	39.5	926^th of 1490 public elementary schools	37.9%		47.6	788^th of 1505 public elementary schools	47.6%	138					45.3	61.7	50.0				31.8	56.8	50.0				62.5		$10,085	$1,594	$8,491
Tramway Elementary	Public	K-5	360 Center Church Road	Sanford	27330	Lee County	Lee County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(919) 718-0170	559	40	13.9	98.7%	304 (54.4%)	70 (12.5%)	160 (28.6%)	3 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (3.9%)	82.5	207^th of 1490 public elementary schools	86.1%		88.9	129^th of 1505 public elementary schools	91.4%	78					85.9	76.7	77.3				52.9	79.1	68.2				69.3		$9,060	$791	$8,269
Southern Lee High School	Public	9-12	2301 Tramway Road	Sanford	27332	Lee County	Lee County Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 718-2400	1,180	56	20.9	99.7%	360 (30.5%)	251 (21.3%)	517 (43.8%)	9 (0.8%)	3 (0.3%)	1 (0.1%)	39 (3.3%)	30.1	449^th of 641 public high schools	30.0%		32.3	426^th of 640 public high schools	33.4%	23	42.6	41.7	21.1	61.2															$9,595	$738	$8,857
Lee Early College	Public	9-12	1105 Kelly Drive	Sanford	27330	Lee County	Lee County Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 888-4502	272	7	39.6	98.9%	83 (30.5%)	22 (8.1%)	145 (53.3%)	7 (2.6%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	14 (5.1%)	91.3	65^th of 641 public high schools	89.9%		94.1	35^th of 640 public high schools	94.5%	30	76.8	88.2	95.5	100.0															$5,908	$41	$5,867
SanLee Middle School	Public	6-8	2309 Tramway Rd	Sanford	27332	Lee County	Lee County Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 708-7227	792	52	15.2	99.6%	234 (29.5%)	154 (19.4%)	361 (45.6%)	9 (1.1%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	33 (4.2%)	55.3	324^th of 773 public middle schools	58.1%		52.7	364^th of 793 public middle schools	54.1%	40								64.6	47.1	47.1				53.1	51.8	55.5		65.0	$7,599	$701	$6,898
WB Wicker Elementary	Public	K-5	900 S Vance St	Sanford	27330	Lee County	Lee County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(919) 897-5400	588	42	14.1	99.1%	48 (8.2%)	211 (35.9%)	299 (50.9%)	3 (0.5%)	3 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	24 (4.1%)	27.1	1133^rd of 1490 public elementary schools	24.0%		31.3	1079^th of 1505 public elementary schools	28.3%	54					36.8	54.1	51.7				23.2	51.0	33.7				55.1

SchoolDigger rankings lists for North Carolina:

Elementary Schools Middle Schools High Schools Districts Cities

SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the North Carolina Dept of Public Instruction.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.