Summary:
Elementary Schools located in zip code 28355 include exactly one school, Greenwood Elementary in Sanford, NC, serving grades K–5 as part of Lee County Schools. This high-poverty school, where 99.47% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, stands out as a strong academic performer, earning a 4-star rating and ranking 341st out of 1,492 elementary schools statewide in the most recent year—up from 470th the previous year. Because no other elementary schools exist in this ZIP code, the most meaningful comparisons are against district and state averages, and on most measures Greenwood leads both.
Math is Greenwood’s clearest strength, with proficiency rates well above state averages at every grade level: 83.5% in 3rd grade, 77.1% in 4th grade, and 72.1% in 5th grade, compared to state averages of 66.4%, 61.4%, and 62.9%. Science is also a standout subject, with 80.2% of 5th graders scoring proficient versus 67.7% statewide. Reading is more mixed: 3rd-grade reading proficiency (55.3%) sits essentially at the state average, while 4th and 5th grade reading scores exceed state averages by about 5 to 6 points. Chronic absenteeism is notably low for a school with such high poverty, at 19.9%—better than the district’s 21.4% and the state’s 24.2%.
What makes Greenwood Elementary especially remarkable is that it achieves above-average results despite nearly all students being economically disadvantaged. The consistency in math across all three grade levels points to strong instruction and curriculum alignment rather than one exceptional class. Reading, particularly in 3rd grade, remains the area to watch, though the latest score improved sharply from 44.1% to 55.3% year over year. While Lee County Schools overall ranks near the 39th percentile of North Carolina districts, Greenwood ranks in the 77th percentile of elementary schools statewide, making it one of the strongest schools in its district and a clear bright spot for families in the 28355 area.
Thank you for your feedback!