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Greenwood Elementary

Q: Is Greenwood Elementary a good school?

Greenwood Elementary ranks 341 st of 1492 North Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades K-5

341^st

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,492 North Carolina Elementary Schools

Better than 77% of North Carolina elementary schools

Summary

Greenwood Elementary is a K–5 school in Sanford, NC, serving 571 students in the Lee County Schools district. Despite serving a student body where more than 99% of children qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, Greenwood has earned a 4-star rating and ranks at the 77th percentile of North Carolina elementary schools — a strong result that places it among the top quarter of schools statewide, even though the district as a whole sits at just the 39th percentile.

Greenwood stands out most for its math and science performance. Math proficiency runs roughly 12–17 percentage points above the state average across grades 3, 4, and 5, while 5th-grade science (80.2%) tops the state by more than 12 points. Reading is solid in grades 4 and 5 but sits right at the state average in 3rd grade. The school is also a regional leader: among nearby elementary schools, only Tramway Elementary ranks higher in the latest year, and Greenwood outperforms several schools with similarly high poverty rates — including Benhaven Elementary, which has a much lower poverty rate. Most notably, Greenwood's results for students from low-income households place it at the 93rd percentile statewide, putting it in the top 7% of all North Carolina schools serving economically disadvantaged students.

The two areas parents may want to watch are 3rd-grade reading and outcomes for gifted learners. Gifted students at Greenwood score well below their peers statewide — a pattern that suggests the school excels at bringing students to grade level but may not yet be stretching its highest-ability learners. On a positive note, chronic absenteeism has dropped to 19.9%, below both the district and state averages, and outcomes for English learners and special education students improved sharply in the latest year. Overall, Greenwood is a high-poverty school that is beating the odds academically — with clear room to grow in early literacy and advanced learning support.

571

Students ?

14.8

Student/teacher ratio ?

99.5%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1127 Greenwood Rd
Sanford, NC 28355

(919) 776-0506

District: Lee County Schools

Students who attend Greenwood Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	SanLee Middle School
High:	Lee Early College
	Southern Lee High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

43.1%

Hispanic:

38.5%

African American:

10.7%

See top rated North Carolina elementary schools

Compare Greenwood Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 49th percentile in 2016 → 77th in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the North Carolina average (70% vs 61% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 23% of North Carolina elementary schools

✓Ranking is trending up — up 28 percentile points since 2016

Worth a look

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school70%

District avg61%

North Carolina avg61%

341^st of 1,492

North Carolina public elementary schools ?

Top 23%▲ up 28 pts since 2016

From bottom 49% (2016) to top 23% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of North Carolina Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

151^st of 246Lee County Schools 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)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	74.0	341 of 1492	77.1%	★★★★☆
2025	65.6	470 of 1490	68.5%	★★★☆☆
2024	69.7	414 of 1505	72.5%	★★★★☆
2023	72.8	363 of 1502	75.8%	★★★★☆
2022	71.7	375 of 1514	75.2%	★★★★☆
2021	33.5	967 of 1489	35.1%	★★☆☆☆
2019	47.0	816 of 1473	44.6%	★★☆☆☆
2018	67.3	456 of 1434	68.2%	★★★☆☆
2017	76.0	304 of 1429	78.7%	★★★★☆
2016	50.5	721 of 1425	49.4%	★★☆☆☆
2015	48.8	772 of 1440	46.4%	★★☆☆☆
2014	36.8	905 of 1390	34.9%	★★☆☆☆
2013	37.3	898 of 1403	36.0%	★★☆☆☆
2012	43.8	874 of 1388	37.0%	★★☆☆☆
2011	59.1	627 of 1381	54.6%	★★★☆☆
2010	49.3	782 of 1363	42.6%	★★☆☆☆
2009	45.3	850 of 1354	37.2%	★★☆☆☆
2008	41.1	852 of 1324	35.6%	★★☆☆☆
2007	57.0	606 of 1293	53.1%	★★★☆☆
2006	38.1	895 of 1276	29.9%	★★☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	67.5	221 of 903	75.5%	★★★★☆
2024	80.3	107 of 924	88.4%	★★★★☆
2023	76.0	143 of 933	84.7%	★★★★☆
2022	42.1	522 of 927	43.7%	★★☆☆☆
2021	21.7	792 of 896	11.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	51.4	419 of 949	55.8%	★★★☆☆
2018	76.0	126 of 927	86.4%	★★★★☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2021	37.5	383 of 646	40.7%	★★☆☆☆
2019	24.9	753 of 878	14.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	21.3	803 of 897	10.5%	★☆☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	56.1	161 of 519	69.0%	★★★☆☆
2025	39.8	329 of 563	41.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	41.8	285 of 533	46.5%	★★☆☆☆
2022	58.8	126 of 485	74.0%	★★★★☆
2019	38.9	301 of 497	39.4%	★★☆☆☆
2018	49.3	172 of 421	59.1%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	75.0	291 of 1447	79.9%	★★★★☆
2025	64.4	460 of 1451	68.3%	★★★☆☆
2024	72.8	324 of 1455	77.7%	★★★★☆
2023	74.8	298 of 1459	79.6%	★★★★☆
2022	72.7	334 of 1458	77.1%	★★★★☆
2021	32.1	961 of 1440	33.3%	★★☆☆☆
2019	40.7	893 of 1424	37.3%	★★☆☆☆
2018	62.3	539 of 1405	61.6%	★★★☆☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	37.5	661 of 743	11.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	30.7	650 of 710	8.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	27.2	621 of 669	7.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	53.1	388 of 582	33.3%	★★☆☆☆
2022	43.0	414 of 500	17.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	19.4	456 of 494	7.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	65.3	190 of 612	69.0%	★★★☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	75.6	158 of 981	83.9%	★★★★☆
2025	75.5	141 of 961	85.3%	★★★★☆
2024	77.8	137 of 951	85.6%	★★★★☆
2023	77.4	127 of 915	86.1%	★★★★☆
2022	80.1	98 of 893	89.0%	★★★★☆
2021	42.2	464 of 843	45.0%	★★☆☆☆
2019	50.4	412 of 865	52.4%	★★★☆☆
2018	65.5	231 of 851	72.9%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	86.2	94 of 1434	93.4%	★★★★★
2025	73.5	252 of 1437	82.5%	★★★★☆
2024	80.8	146 of 1450	89.9%	★★★★☆
2023	79.3	170 of 1437	88.2%	★★★★☆
2022	83.3	105 of 1366	92.3%	★★★★★
2021	40.4	773 of 1329	41.8%	★★☆☆☆
2019	59.0	506 of 1361	62.8%	★★★☆☆
2018	80.1	153 of 1332	88.5%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	69.7	401 of 1451	72.4%	★★★★☆
2025	64.7	465 of 1450	67.9%	★★★☆☆
2024	63.4	500 of 1464	65.8%	★★★☆☆
2023	68.6	403 of 1461	72.4%	★★★★☆
2022	67.7	420 of 1464	71.3%	★★★★☆
2021	35.0	915 of 1444	36.6%	★★☆☆☆
2019	53.6	678 of 1430	52.6%	★★★☆☆
2018	70.3	380 of 1413	73.1%	★★★★☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	68.0	49 of 175	72.0%	★★★★☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	57.7	257 of 815	68.5%	★★★☆☆
2025	37.9	496 of 821	39.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	48.6	339 of 801	57.7%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	70.0	321 of 1146	72.0%	★★★★☆
2025	52.0	567 of 1172	51.6%	★★★☆☆
2024	59.2	465 of 1166	60.1%	★★★☆☆
2023	62.6	424 of 1183	64.2%	★★★☆☆
2022	64.4	384 of 1194	67.8%	★★★☆☆
2021	21.5	1005 of 1172	14.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	45.2	691 of 1183	41.6%	★★☆☆☆
2018	71.9	306 of 1178	74.0%	★★★★☆

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)

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)93rd percentile+16 vs school

Hispanic (2026)84th percentile+7 vs school

Female (2026)80th percentile+3 vs school

African American (2026)76th percentile~ school

Male (2026)72nd percentile-5 vs school

Multi-racial (2025)72nd percentile+4 vs school

White (2026)72nd percentile-5 vs school

English Language Learner (2026)69th percentile-8 vs school

Special Education (2026)68th percentile-9 vs school

Disabled (2021)41st percentile+6 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2026)11th percentile-66 vs school

By subject vs North Carolina (2025-2026) ?

Science80%+12 vs state

Mathematics77%+14 vs state

Reading60%+4 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
Tuesday, February 4, 2020

Not a fan. I have had issues with communication and getting pre-emptive feedback concerning the learning problems my child is having versus reactive feedback. I understand that you can not babysit my child but a partnered approach to her learning rather than mandatory meetings to fill their 504 requirements would be more helpful. Close Quote

by a parent
Tuesday, July 28, 2015

All my kids have attended Greenwood Elementary. They all enjoyed their time there. The atmosphere feels like family, we are thoroughly happy with how they were treated, what they learned, and they always felt safe. Close Quote

Schools Near Greenwood Elementary

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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)				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/Discounted Lunch Recipients (2025)	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	EOG Mathematics 3rd Grade	EOG Mathematics 4th Grade	EOG Mathematics 5th Grade	EOG Reading 3rd Grade	EOG Reading 4th Grade	EOG Reading 5th Grade	EOG Science 5th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Greenwood Elementary	Public	K-5	1127 Greenwood Rd	Sanford	28355	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%)	74	341^st of 1492 public elementary schools	77.1%		65.6	470^th of 1490 public elementary schools	68.5%	129	83.5	77.1	72.1	55.3	63.3	61.3	80.2	$9,213	$1,139	$8,074
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%)	86.1	163^rd of 1492 public elementary schools	89.1%		82.5	207^th of 1490 public elementary schools	86.1%	44	92.5	72.4	85.1	78.8	64.4	75.9	82.8	$9,060	$791	$8,269
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%)	42.3	874^th of 1492 public elementary schools	41.4%		41.6	888^th of 1490 public elementary schools	40.4%	14	61.6	53.2	69.7	43.4	46.8	52.8	67.4	$9,176	$1,462	$7,714
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%)	14.1	1375^th of 1492 public elementary schools	7.8%		18	1315^th of 1490 public elementary schools	11.7%	60	45.9	36.8	42.4	45.9	28.9	39.4	39.4
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%)	54	666^th of 1492 public elementary schools	55.4%		42.1	877^th of 1490 public elementary schools	41.1%	211	71.0	65.2	60.2	62.9	62.3	47.7	62.5	$9,063	$1,217	$7,846
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%)	31.5	1066^th of 1492 public elementary schools	28.6%		27.1	1133^rd of 1490 public elementary schools	24.0%	67	48.5	49.5	69.2	36.6	34.1	44.0	69.2
Cameron Elementary	Public	K-5	2636 NC Hwy 24 27	Cameron	28326	Harnett County	Moore County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(910) 245-7814	215	14	15.6	98.6%	145 (67.4%)	15 (7.0%)	42 (19.5%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.9%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (4.2%)	55.9	641^st of 1492 public elementary schools	57.0%		52.9	690^th of 1490 public elementary schools	53.7%	49	59.5	57.9	79.3	54.8	55.3	62.1	72.4	$11,016	$911	$10,105
Benhaven Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	520 Olive Farm Dr	Sanford	27332	Lee 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%)	57.8	614^th of 1492 public elementary schools	58.8%		66.8	449^th of 1490 public elementary schools	69.9%	165	72.3	67.6	68.5	55.5	58.0	53.3	63.0	$8,663	$866	$7,797
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%)	45.4	817^th of 1492 public elementary schools	45.2%		39.5	926^th of 1490 public elementary schools	37.9%	109	67.5	50.5	58.0	55.8	42.6	56.8	71.6	$10,085	$1,594	$8,491
Johnsonville Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	18495 NC HWY 27 West	Cameron	28326	Harnett County	Harnett County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(919) 499-4912	489	31	15.5	99.2%	171 (35.0%)	116 (23.7%)	152 (31.1%)	4 (0.8%)	5 (1.0%)	3 (0.6%)	38 (7.8%)	69.1	433^rd of 1492 public elementary schools	71.0%		47.3	793^rd of 1490 public elementary schools	46.8%	360	75.3	75.3	73.0	57.0	58.9	59.5	77.0	$9,975	$1,423	$8,552

Frequently Asked Questions about Greenwood Elementary

What schools do graduates of Greenwood Elementary attend?

Students who attend Greenwood Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : SanLee Middle School
High : Lee Early College
High : Southern Lee High School

What district is Greenwood Elementary in?

Lee County Schools

How many students attend Greenwood Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 571 students attended Greenwood Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Greenwood Elementary?

Students at Greenwood Elementary are 43% White, 39% Hispanic, 11% African American, 7% Two or more races.

Is Greenwood Elementary a good school?

Greenwood Elementary ranks 341^st of 1492 North Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Rate Greenwood Elementary!

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Latest North Carolina data All new data »

2017–18 through 2025–26 attendance data & graduation ratesNewSep 2, 2026

2025–26 EOC & EOG test scoresNewSep 2, 2026

2016–17 through 2024–25 graduation ratesSep 3, 2025

2024–25 EOC & EOG test scoresSep 3, 2025

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.