Summary:
Central Carolina Academy is a single-school district in Sanford, NC, serving grades 6 through 12 with an enrollment of 536 students. Central Carolina Academy is a high-performing combined middle and high school that ranks in the top 25% of North Carolina high schools (166th out of 662) and earns a 4-star statewide rating, while the Central Carolina Academy district is rated 5 stars and ranks in the top 10% of districts statewide.
The school’s greatest strength is mathematics. Math proficiency climbs steadily from 67.9% in 6th grade to 85.4% in 8th grade, while the state average actually drops over those same grades—so by 8th grade, the school outperforms North Carolina by 32.4 percentage points. Advanced high school math is equally impressive, with 92.3% proficiency in Math III versus 68.9% statewide. Science is another standout area: 8th grade science proficiency is 86.5% and Biology is 70.4%, both well above state averages. Reading is solid but relatively less dominant, with all grade levels above the state average; the lowest score is 8th grade reading at 63.5% compared to 56.1% statewide. Notably, 7th grade reading jumped 19 points year-over-year, from 52.9% to 71.9%, suggesting targeted improvement.
Year-over-year results show most high school EOC courses improved, while middle-grades EOG scores dipped slightly—still far above state averages. The school has a lower share of economically disadvantaged students (26.49% free/reduced lunch eligibility) and a student-teacher ratio of 15.4. Chronic absenteeism is elevated at 27.7%, above the state rate of 24.2%, yet academic achievement remains high. For parents, Central Carolina Academy offers a rigorous STEM-focused education with exceptional math and science outcomes, a strong high school pipeline, and clear academic strengths that place it among the better schools in North Carolina.
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