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Central Carolina Academy

Q: Is Central Carolina Academy a good school?

Central Carolina Academy ranks 95 th of 773 North Carolina high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public, Charter Grades 6-12

95^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 773 North Carolina High Schools

Better than 88% of North Carolina high schools

Summary

Central Carolina Academy is an alternative public charter school in Sanford, North Carolina, serving grades 6-11 with a total enrollment of 450 students. This school consistently outperforms the state average in various standardized test scores, making it a high-performing institution in the region.

One of the key factors that sets Central Carolina Academy apart is its academic performance. The school's proficiency rates in 8th grade Math (87.8%) and 8th grade Science (84.7%) are significantly higher than the state averages (48.7% and 60.1%, respectively). Additionally, the school has a relatively low student-teacher ratio, ranging from 15.3 to 16 students per teacher, which is lower than the nearby Floyd L Knight Children Center.

While Central Carolina Academy has demonstrated consistent academic excellence, the school has seen an increase in the percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, from 24.26% in 2022-2023 to 34.89% in 2023-2024. This may indicate a growing population of economically disadvantaged students, which could present additional challenges for the school to address. In comparison, the nearby Floyd L Knight Children Center has a significantly higher percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch (97.39% in 2023-2024) and a lower student-teacher ratio, suggesting that the student population and resource allocation at the two schools may differ significantly.

536

Students ?

15.4

Student/teacher ratio ?

26.5%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1801 Douglas Drive
Sanford, NC 27330

(984) 977-9455

District: Central Carolina Academy

Racial breakdown:

White:

70.3%

Hispanic:

15.3%

Two or more races:

9.3%

See top rated North Carolina high schools

Compare Central Carolina Academy to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 76th percentile in 2024 → 88th in 2025

Strengths

✓Test scores above the North Carolina average (73% vs 54% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 12% of North Carolina high schools

✓Ranking is trending up — up 12 percentile points since 2024

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school73%

North Carolina avg54%

95^th of 773

North Carolina public middle schools ?

Top 12%▲ up 12 pts since 2024

From top 24% (2024) to top 12% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of North Carolina Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

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

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	84.9	95 of 773	87.7%	★★★★☆
2024	72.6	190 of 793	76.0%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	79.9	126 of 733	82.8%	★★★★☆
2024	72.3	176 of 738	76.2%	★★★★☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	81.2	58 of 562	89.7%	★★★★☆
2024	77.2	73 of 564	87.1%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	88.7	45 of 729	93.8%	★★★★★
2024	66.1	193 of 743	74.0%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	87.8	66 of 733	91.0%	★★★★★
2024	67.7	207 of 751	72.4%	★★★★☆

Military Connected

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	84.3	6 of 64	90.6%	★★★★★
2024	77.4	11 of 58	81.0%	★★★★☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	90.0	17 of 328	94.8%	★★★★★

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	82.7	26 of 478	94.6%	★★★★★

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	73.6	155 of 649	76.1%	★★★★☆
2024	59.9	246 of 652	62.3%	★★★☆☆

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)

Multi-racial (2025)95th percentile+7 vs school

Special Education (2025)95th percentile+7 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)94th percentile+6 vs school

Male (2025)91st percentile+3 vs school

Military Connected (2025)91st percentile+3 vs school

Hispanic (2025)90th percentile~ school

Female (2025)83rd percentile-5 vs school

White (2025)76th percentile-12 vs school

By subject vs North Carolina (2024-2025) ?

Math III88%+21 vs state

Science85%+25 vs state

Mathematics80%+27 vs state

Math I69%+35 vs state

English II68%+8 vs state

Reading66%+13 vs state

Biology59%+11 vs state

★

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Schools Near Central Carolina Academy

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 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
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
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
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
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
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
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
Chatham Central High	Public	9-12	14950 NC Hwy 902 W	Bear Creek	27207	Chatham County	Chatham County Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 837-2251	320	31	10.3	99.1%	208 (65.0%)	20 (6.3%)	76 (23.8%)	4 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (3.8%)	63.6	209^th of 641 public high schools	67.4%		45.9	324^th of 640 public high schools	49.4%	115	51.5	65.7	59.5	73.2								$12,606	$549	$12,058
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%)	66.8	190^th of 641 public high schools	70.4%		67.3	196^th of 640 public high schools	69.4%	6	66.6	70.7	53.6	67.6								$8,499	$727	$7,773
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%)	26	488^th of 641 public high schools	23.9%		23.2	496^th of 640 public high schools	22.5%	8	30.4	47.6	27.9	51.2								$8,173	$760	$7,413
The Community Learning Center @ Pinckney	Public	6-12	160 Pinckney Road	Carthage	28327	Moore County	Moore County Schools	No	No	No	No	(910) 947-2603	77	7	10.9	83.1%	33 (42.9%)	28 (36.4%)	9 (11.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (9.1%)								(n/a)		8.3					9.1			36.4	9.1	$20,280	$779	$19,501

Frequently Asked Questions about Central Carolina Academy

What is the racial makeup of Central Carolina Academy?

Students at Central Carolina Academy are 70% White, 15% Hispanic, 9% Two or more races, 5% African American.

How many students attend Central Carolina Academy?

In the 2024-25 school year, 536 students attended Central Carolina Academy.

What district is Central Carolina Academy in?

Central Carolina Academy

Is Central Carolina Academy a good school?

Central Carolina Academy ranks 95^th of 773 North Carolina high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

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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.