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Rising Leaders Academy

Public, Charter Grades K-8

1315^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,490 North Carolina Elementary Schools

Better than 12% of North Carolina elementary schools

Summary

MINA Charter School of Lee County is an elementary school located in Sanford, North Carolina, serving grades K-8 with a total enrollment of 427 students. The school is part of the MINA Charter School of Lee County district, which is ranked 190 out of 242 districts in North Carolina and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

MINA Charter School consistently underperforms compared to the state average in both mathematics and reading proficiency across all grade levels. For example, in the 2024-2025 school year, the school's 3rd-grade mathematics proficiency was 22.7% compared to the state average of 64.1%, and its 3rd-grade reading proficiency was 22.7% compared to the state average of 46.7%. The school also struggles to support the academic achievement of its student subgroups, with rankings for female, male, and low socioeconomic status students all in the bottom quartile of North Carolina elementary schools. MINA Charter School has consistently ranked in the bottom quartile of North Carolina elementary schools, with a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger for the past five school years.

Interestingly, the nearby public schools, such as Cameron Elementary, Deep River Elementary, and Tramway Elementary, generally outperform MINA Charter School in academic proficiency, school rankings, and student group performance, despite serving similar student populations. Additionally, MINA Charter School's spending per student and student-teacher ratio are not significantly different from the nearby public schools, suggesting that the school's challenges are not solely due to resource constraints or staffing levels.

282

Students ?

9.9

Student/teacher ratio ?

98.2%

Free/discounted lunch ?

2732 Industrial Drive
Sanford, NC 27332

(919) 745-1442

District: Rising Leaders Academy

Racial breakdown:

African American:

37.9%

Hispanic:

29.8%

White:

19.5%

See top rated North Carolina elementary schools

Compare Rising Leaders Academy to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 21st percentile in 2021 → 12th in 2025

Strengths

✓Small classes — about 10 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Test scores below the North Carolina average (36% vs 56% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (12th percentile)

!Ranking has slipped — down 9 percentile points since 2021

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school36%

North Carolina avg56%

Elementary school

1,315^th of 1,490

North Carolina public elementary schools ?

Bottom 12%▼ down 10 pts since 2021

From bottom 21% (2021) to bottom 12% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of North Carolina Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

Middle school

403^rd of 773

North Carolina public middle schools ?

Bottom 48%▲ up 18 pts since 2023

From bottom 30% (2023) to bottom 48% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of North Carolina Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

190^th of 242Rising Leaders Academy 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)

Elementary school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	18.0	1315 of 1490	11.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	27.8	1144 of 1505	24.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	17.4	1301 of 1502	13.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	16.0	1347 of 1514	11.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	21.7	1169 of 1489	21.5%	★☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	28.4	717 of 918	21.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	37.9	608 of 924	34.2%	★★☆☆☆
2023	26.5	742 of 933	20.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	25.5	767 of 927	17.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	31.8	622 of 896	30.6%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	19.3	1270 of 1451	12.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	27.1	1127 of 1455	22.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	16.0	1309 of 1459	10.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	18.1	1291 of 1458	11.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	19.6	1202 of 1440	16.5%	★☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	21.8	839 of 961	12.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	54.8	392 of 951	58.8%	★★★☆☆
2023	31.2	673 of 915	26.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	27.9	730 of 893	18.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	44.3	433 of 843	48.6%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	15.3	1353 of 1437	5.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	26.9	1186 of 1450	18.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	21.5	1244 of 1437	13.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	29.7	1036 of 1366	24.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	24.5	1059 of 1329	20.3%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	18.8	1275 of 1450	12.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	28.9	1106 of 1464	24.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	21.9	1194 of 1461	18.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	17.1	1289 of 1464	12.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	35.5	912 of 1444	36.8%	★★☆☆☆

Middle school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	48.0	403 of 773	47.9%	★★☆☆☆
2024	24.5	623 of 793	21.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	30.6	551 of 784	29.7%	★☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2024	35.8	362 of 560	35.4%	★★☆☆☆
2023	59.4	164 of 559	70.7%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2023	25.1	575 of 731	21.3%	★☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2023	20.3	482 of 553	12.8%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2024	27.0	593 of 743	20.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	46.3	372 of 735	49.4%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2024	28.7	559 of 751	25.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	35.8	487 of 747	34.8%	★★☆☆☆

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)

Elementary school

African American (2025)22nd percentile+10 vs school

Hispanic (2025)13th percentile~ school

Female (2025)12th percentile~ school

Male (2025)12th percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)6th percentile-6 vs school

Middle school

African American (2024)35th percentile+14 vs school

Male (2024)26th percentile+4 vs school

Female (2023)21st percentile-8 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2024)20th percentile~ school

Hispanic (2023)13th percentile-17 vs school

By subject vs North Carolina (2024-2025) ?

Science40%-22 vs state

Reading38%-14 vs state

Mathematics34%-25 vs state

3.0

2 ratings · 2 written reviews

5★1

4★0

3★0

2★0

1★1

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What people are saying

by a parent
Saturday, March 2, 2024

My child came into my care after graduating from kindergarten. Over the summer and going into 1st grade I had noticed she didn’t have foundational skills down for reading as to so much even know the sounds of the letters of the alphabet yet was given grades of high 90s-100s in reading and phonics. This could be both from the previous parent and my guess a school trying to build themselves by giving untrue grades. Long story short it has taken a lot of work between me and teacher at her new school to get her back up to grade level. Although the staff seemed extremely nice, I would not recommend this school if you’re worried about your child’s academic growth. Close Quote

by a parent
Thursday, August 25, 2022

MINA Charter School is a wonderful option to public schools in Lee and surrounding counties. Just like every school during the pandemic, navigating the new normal has been challenging. But the entire MINA staff considers policy AND what is best for the students and parents who are apart of their school. I admire their efforts to hire reputable staff and more so, staff that represent the community. MINA feels like a family, not just a school. We enjoy our child attending here and can't wait till our younger children can begin their educational journey here as well. Close Quote

Schools Near Rising Leaders Academy

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				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	EOG Mathematics 3rd Grade	EOG Mathematics 4th Grade	EOG Mathematics 5th Grade	EOG Mathematics 6th Grade	EOG Mathematics 7th Grade	EOG Reading 3rd Grade	EOG Reading 4th Grade	EOG Reading 5th Grade	EOG Reading 6th Grade	EOG Reading 7th Grade	EOG Science 5th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
Benhaven Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	520 Olive Farm Dr	Sanford	27332	Harnett County	Harnett County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(919) 499-4811	1,065	65	16.4	44.3%	494 (46.4%)	222 (20.8%)	211 (19.8%)	20 (1.9%)	3 (0.3%)	6 (0.6%)	109 (10.2%)	66.8	449^th of 1490 public elementary schools	69.9%		74.2	335^th of 1505 public elementary schools	77.7%	114	69.6	79.6	67.7			51.6	72.5	55.6			54.0	$8,663	$866	$7,797
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

Frequently Asked Questions about Rising Leaders Academy

Is Rising Leaders Academy a good school?

Rising Leaders Academy ranks in the bottom 11.7% of North Carolina elementary schools.

What district is Rising Leaders Academy in?

Rising Leaders Academy

How many students attend Rising Leaders Academy?

In the 2024-25 school year, 282 students attended Rising Leaders Academy.

What is the racial makeup of Rising Leaders Academy?

Students at Rising Leaders Academy are 38% African American, 30% Hispanic, 20% White, 11% Two or more races, 1% Asian.

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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.