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

Ascend Leadership Academy: Lee County

Q: Is Ascend Leadership Academy: Lee County a good school?

Ascend Leadership Academy: Lee County ranks 205 th of 662 North Carolina high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Q: How many students attend Ascend Leadership Academy: Lee County?

In the 2024-25 school year, 628 students attended Ascend Leadership Academy: Lee County.

Q: What is the racial makeup of Ascend Leadership Academy: Lee County?

Students at Ascend Leadership Academy: Lee County are 54% White, 21% Hispanic, 13% African American, 10% Two or more races, 1% Asian.

Public, Charter Grades 6-12

205^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 662 North Carolina High Schools

Better than 69% of North Carolina high schools

Summary

Ascend Leadership Academy: Lee County is a public charter school in Sanford, NC, serving 628 students in grades 6–12 and operating as its own district, which ranks 40th out of 246 districts in North Carolina. Ascend has climbed from the lower-middle range of state high schools to its current 205th place out of 662 high schools, putting it ahead of most traditional zoned schools in the region.

Ascend's academic results are the clearest differentiator. Students scored above state averages in reading, science, Biology (75.2% vs. 58.5% statewide), English II, and Math III. The contrast with nearby traditional high schools is dramatic: Biology proficiency at Lee County High is 36.0% and at Southern Lee High School it is 48.9%, while English II proficiency at both schools sits near 40% compared with Ascend's 78.0%. Ascend also outranks Union Pines High, Overhills High, and Western Harnett High. Among area schools, only Lee Early College and Central Carolina Academy rank higher. The notable concern is Math I, where proficiency fell to 39.2% this year, below the state average, while Central Carolina posts 63.5%.

Ascend also delivers strong non-academic results. Its graduation rate has soared from 69.6% to 92.4% in three years, and chronic absenteeism is just 16.6%, well below the state's 24.2%. Students with disabilities perform exceptionally well, ranking 22nd out of 372 schools statewide. For Sanford families weighing options beyond the traditional Lee County Schools pathway, Ascend represents a non-selective, leadership-oriented choice producing consistently strong outcomes.

628

Students ?

13.5

Student/teacher ratio ?

283 Harvey Faulk Road
Sanford, NC 27332

(919) 842-5411

District: Ascend Leadership Academy: Lee County

Racial breakdown:

White:

54.1%

Hispanic:

20.5%

African American:

12.9%

See top rated North Carolina high schools

Compare Ascend Leadership Academy: Lee County to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 61st percentile in 2023 → 69th in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the North Carolina average (70% vs 58% meeting standards)

✓92% graduate in 4 years — above the North Carolina average (89%)

✓Ranking is trending up — up 8 percentile points since 2023

Worth a look

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school70%

North Carolina avg58%

Middle school

154^th of 778

North Carolina public middle schools ?

Top 20%▲ up 40 pts since 2019

From bottom 41% (2019) to top 20% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of North Carolina Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

High school

205^th of 662

North Carolina public high schools ?

Top 31%▲ up 8 pts since 2023

From top 39% (2023) to top 31% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of North Carolina High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

40^th of 246Ascend Leadership Academy: Lee County among North Carolina districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Middle school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	77.5	154 of 778	80.2%	★★★★☆
2025	66.4	238 of 773	69.2%	★★★☆☆
2024	68.1	222 of 793	72.0%	★★★★☆
2023	68.8	215 of 784	72.6%	★★★★☆
2022	58.0	312 of 786	60.3%	★★★☆☆
2021	47.8	371 of 741	49.9%	★★★☆☆
2019	43.6	437 of 737	40.7%	★★☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	67.2	143 of 553	74.1%	★★★★☆
2025	56.6	194 of 546	64.5%	★★★☆☆
2024	50.9	223 of 560	60.2%	★★★☆☆
2022	67.8	109 of 550	80.2%	★★★★☆
2021	64.4	106 of 533	80.1%	★★★★☆
2019	49.7	235 of 519	54.7%	★★★☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2022	42.9	209 of 449	53.5%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	70.5	198 of 731	72.9%	★★★★☆
2025	63.3	236 of 733	67.8%	★★★☆☆
2024	67.6	210 of 738	71.5%	★★★★☆
2023	64.3	228 of 731	68.8%	★★★☆☆
2022	57.1	287 of 733	60.8%	★★★☆☆
2021	45.6	365 of 706	48.3%	★★☆☆☆
2019	54.2	318 of 684	53.5%	★★★☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	80.2	69 of 566	87.8%	★★★★☆
2025	61.3	170 of 562	69.8%	★★★★☆
2024	82.3	56 of 564	90.1%	★★★★★
2023	79.8	61 of 553	89.0%	★★★★☆
2022	62.3	163 of 541	69.9%	★★★★☆
2021	49.2	250 of 522	52.1%	★★★☆☆
2019	30.8	381 of 493	22.7%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	49.9	340 of 725	53.1%	★★★☆☆
2025	63.7	196 of 729	73.1%	★★★★☆
2024	60.0	256 of 743	65.5%	★★★☆☆
2023	68.7	164 of 735	77.7%	★★★★☆
2022	56.1	257 of 689	62.7%	★★★☆☆
2019	21.3	550 of 639	13.9%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	79.6	118 of 736	84.0%	★★★★☆
2025	66.7	215 of 733	70.7%	★★★★☆
2024	66.4	222 of 751	70.4%	★★★★☆
2023	69.5	195 of 747	73.9%	★★★★☆
2022	55.7	314 of 748	58.0%	★★★☆☆
2021	48.0	349 of 711	50.9%	★★★☆☆
2019	33.9	489 of 697	29.8%	★★☆☆☆

Military Connected

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	59.7	26 of 67	61.2%	★★★☆☆
2025	44.9	38 of 64	40.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	54.2	31 of 58	46.6%	★★☆☆☆
2023	37.4	35 of 54	35.2%	★★☆☆☆
2022	16.9	55 of 58	5.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	15.0	54 of 57	5.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	42.6	31 of 48	35.4%	★★☆☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	54.5	136 of 328	58.5%	★★★☆☆
2024	61.7	101 of 306	67.0%	★★★☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	74.7	46 of 500	90.8%	★★★★★
2024	39.4	254 of 473	46.3%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	69.1	187 of 644	71.0%	★★★★☆
2025	58.2	255 of 649	60.7%	★★★☆☆
2024	50.1	318 of 652	51.2%	★★★☆☆
2023	43.6	374 of 656	43.0%	★★☆☆☆
2022	30.9	481 of 658	26.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	30.9	460 of 632	27.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	26.9	507 of 624	18.8%	★☆☆☆☆

High school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	66.9	205 of 662	69.0%	★★★☆☆
2025	65.4	201 of 641	68.6%	★★★☆☆
2024	61.1	228 of 640	64.4%	★★★☆☆
2023	57.2	246 of 626	60.7%	★★★☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	54.8	165 of 450	63.3%	★★★☆☆
2025	60.4	121 of 440	72.5%	★★★★☆
2024	54.0	144 of 437	67.0%	★★★☆☆
2023	82.9	68 of 434	84.3%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	72.4	165 of 629	73.8%	★★★★☆
2025	69.9	173 of 610	71.6%	★★★★☆
2024	62.0	213 of 602	64.6%	★★★☆☆
2023	50.9	286 of 588	51.4%	★★★☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	71.5	110 of 474	76.8%	★★★★☆
2025	82.2	84 of 462	81.8%	★★★★☆
2024	61.4	123 of 454	72.9%	★★★★☆
2023	49.1	188 of 449	58.1%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	66.0	172 of 620	72.3%	★★★★☆
2025	65.0	159 of 606	73.8%	★★★★☆
2024	50.2	246 of 613	59.9%	★★★☆☆
2023	62.3	172 of 597	71.2%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	61.2	227 of 624	63.6%	★★★☆☆
2025	59.2	218 of 601	63.7%	★★★☆☆
2024	59.4	227 of 607	62.6%	★★★☆☆
2023	63.1	201 of 602	66.6%	★★★☆☆

Military Connected

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	62.2	26 of 70	62.9%	★★★☆☆
2025	48.6	24 of 53	54.7%	★★★☆☆
2024	53.6	23 of 49	53.1%	★★★☆☆
2023	30.6	35 of 48	27.1%	★★☆☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	66.1	70 of 265	73.6%	★★★★☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	84.4	22 of 372	94.1%	★★★★★
2025	74.3	38 of 352	89.2%	★★★★☆
2024	93.4	9 of 349	97.4%	★★★★★

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	64.5	207 of 551	62.4%	★★★☆☆
2025	51.3	267 of 542	50.7%	★★★☆☆
2024	54.8	251 of 553	54.6%	★★★☆☆
2023	51.2	253 of 537	52.9%	★★★☆☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

Middle school

Special Education (2026)91st percentile+11 vs school

Hispanic (2026)88th percentile+8 vs school

Male (2026)84th percentile+4 vs school

African American (2026)74th percentile-6 vs school

Female (2026)73rd percentile-7 vs school

White (2026)71st percentile-9 vs school

Military Connected (2026)61st percentile-19 vs school

Multi-racial (2025)59th percentile-11 vs school

Disabled (2022)53rd percentile-7 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)53rd percentile-27 vs school

High school

Special Education (2026)94th percentile+25 vs school

Hispanic (2026)77th percentile+8 vs school

Female (2026)74th percentile+5 vs school

Multi-racial (2026)74th percentile+5 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)72nd percentile+3 vs school

Male (2026)64th percentile-5 vs school

African American (2026)63rd percentile-6 vs school

Military Connected (2026)63rd percentile-6 vs school

White (2026)62nd percentile-7 vs school

By subject vs North Carolina (2025-2026) ?

Math III85%+16 vs state

Science81%+13 vs state

English II78%+13 vs state

Biology75%+17 vs state

Mathematics69%+13 vs state

Reading67%+11 vs state

Math I39%-3 vs state

★

No ratings yet

Be the first to rate Ascend Leadership Academy: Lee County and help other families decide.

Rate Ascend Leadership Academy: Lee County

Have first-hand experience? A quick rating - and a sentence or two about what stands out (teachers, academics, safety, communication) - helps other families know what to expect.

Takes about a minute. We email you a link to verify your review - your address is never shown publicly.

Tap a star to rate

Reviews

No written reviews yet. If you know this school, be the first to share what stands out.

Schools Near Ascend Leadership Academy: Lee County

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 (2026)				Ranking (2025)				EOC Biology (2026)	EOC English II (2026)	EOC Math I (2026)	EOC Math III (2026)	EOG Mathematics (2026)			EOG Reading (2026)			EOG Science (2026)	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/reduced lunch (2024-25)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	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 6th Grade	EOG Mathematics 7th Grade	EOG Mathematics 8th Grade	EOG Reading 6th Grade	EOG Reading 7th Grade	EOG Reading 8th 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%)	66.9	205^th of 662 public high schools	69.0%		65.4	201^st of 641 public high schools	68.6%	4	75.2	78.0	39.2	84.9	72.0	71.4	63.0	65.6	67.0	67.4	81.5
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	—	416 (28.5%)	336 (23.0%)	640 (43.9%)	12 (0.8%)	5 (0.3%)	1 (0.1%)	49 (3.4%)	19.4	557^th of 662 public high schools	15.9%		24.1	501^st of 641 public high schools	21.8%	56	36.0	41.5	18.6	61.1								$9,332	$595	$8,737
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	—	83 (30.5%)	22 (8.1%)	145 (53.3%)	7 (2.6%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	14 (5.1%)	91.4	63^rd of 662 public high schools	90.5%		91.3	65^th of 641 public high schools	89.9%	2	85.7	98.2	90.9	98.4								$5,908	$41	$5,867
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	—	360 (30.5%)	251 (21.3%)	517 (43.8%)	9 (0.8%)	3 (0.3%)	1 (0.1%)	39 (3.3%)	24.4	524^th of 662 public high schools	20.8%		30.1	449^th of 641 public high schools	30.0%	75	48.9	39.8	27.7	58.4								$9,595	$738	$8,857
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%)	1.1	657^th of 662 public high schools	0.8%		2.8	632^nd of 641 public high schools	1.4%	25	339.1	8.3	537.9	23.1			10.0			20.0	40.0	$20,791	$253	$20,538
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%)	73.9	166^th of 662 public high schools	74.9%					(n/a)	70.4	75.3	63.5	92.3	67.9	77.2	85.4	68.8	71.9	63.5	86.5
Western Harnett High	Public	9-12	10637 NC Hwy 27 West	Lillington	27546	Harnett County	Harnett County Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 499-5113	1,324	56	23.4	61.8%	622 (47.0%)	208 (15.7%)	392 (29.6%)	13 (1.0%)	9 (0.7%)	3 (0.2%)	77 (5.8%)	24	528^th of 662 public high schools	20.2%		26	488^th of 641 public high schools	23.9%	40	40.1	48.9	32.1	54.2								$8,173	$760	$7,413
Union Pines High	Public	9-12	1981 Union Church Rd	Cameron	28326	Moore County	Moore County Schools	No	No	No	No	(910) 947-5511	1,462	59	24.8	31.7%	1,027 (70.2%)	116 (7.9%)	200 (13.7%)	10 (0.7%)	9 (0.6%)	1 (0.1%)	99 (6.8%)	59	261^st of 662 public high schools	60.6%		66.8	190^th of 641 public high schools	70.4%	71	67.5	73.7	54.5	66.2								$8,499	$727	$7,773
Overhills High	Public	9-12	2495 Ray Road	Spring Lake	28390	Harnett County	Harnett County Schools	No	No	No	No	(910) 436-1436	1,981	74	26.7	50.9%	623 (31.4%)	681 (34.4%)	467 (23.6%)	15 (0.8%)	17 (0.9%)	19 (1.0%)	159 (8.0%)	33.7	450^th of 662 public high schools	32.0%		28.7	468^th of 641 public high schools	27.0%	18	56.5	58.6	32.0	53.5								$7,867	$653	$7,214
STAR Academy	Public	6-12	900 11th Street	Lillington	27546	Harnett County	Harnett County Schools	No	No	No	No	(910) 893-4072	31	4	8.7	87.1%	6 (19.4%)	21 (67.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (12.9%)	3.9	637^th of 662 public high schools	3.8%		2.3	636^th of 641 public high schools	0.8%	1	336.8	20.0	7.4		17.6	538.4	< 5%	11.8	9.1	14.3	10.3	$14,449	$1,242	$13,207

Frequently Asked Questions about Ascend Leadership Academy: Lee County

What district is Ascend Leadership Academy: Lee County in?

Ascend Leadership Academy: Lee County

How many students attend Ascend Leadership Academy: Lee County?

In the 2024-25 school year, 628 students attended Ascend Leadership Academy: Lee County.

Is Ascend Leadership Academy: Lee County a good school?

Ascend Leadership Academy: Lee County ranks 205^th of 662 North Carolina high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Ascend Leadership Academy: Lee County?

Students at Ascend Leadership Academy: Lee County are 54% White, 21% Hispanic, 13% African American, 10% Two or more races, 1% Asian.

Rate Ascend Leadership Academy: Lee County!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

NCNorth Carolina High School Rankings

NCNorth Carolina District Rankings

Schools in Sanford, NC

Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for Ascend Leadership Academy: Lee County!

Latest North Carolina data All new data »

2025–26 graduation rates (updated)NewNov 2, 2026

2020–21 through 2025–26 immunization ratesOct 19, 2026

2022–23 immunization rates (updated)Oct 19, 2026

2017–18 through 2024–25 attendance dataSep 2, 2026

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.