Lee County Schools

106 Gordon St
Sanford, NC 27330
(District boundaries shown in map)
4/
10
Bottom 50%

Top Rankings

Lee County Schools ranks among the top 20% of public school district in North Carolina for:

Category
Attribute
Community Size
Largest student body (number of students) (Top 1%)
For the 2026 school year, there are 2 public preschools serving 597 students in Lee County Schools. This district's average pre testing ranking is 3/10, which is in the bottom 50% of public pre schools in North Carolina.
Public Preschools in Lee County Schools have an average math proficiency score of 40% (versus the North Carolina public pre school average of 51%), and reading proficiency score of 37% (versus the 46% statewide average).
Minority enrollment is 60% of the student body (majority Hispanic), which is more than the North Carolina public preschool average of 59% (majority Black and Hispanic).

Overview

This School District
This State (NC)
# Schools
16 Schools
994 Schools
# Students
9,018 Students
464,055 Students
# Teachers
639 Teachers
33,275 Teachers
Student-Teacher Ratio
14:1
14:1

Student By Grade

District Rank

Lee County Schools, which is ranked within the bottom 50% of all 320 school districts in North Carolina (based off of combined math and reading proficiency testing data) for the 2021-2022 school year.
The school district's graduation rate of 82% has decreased from 89% over five school years.
This School District
State Average (NC)
#212 out of 325 school districts
(Bottom 50%)
(21-22)
46%
51%
42%
50%
59%
63%
(21-22)
88%
86%

Students by Ethnicity:

0.68
0.72
% American Indian
n/a
1%
% Asian
n/a
4%
% Hispanic
43%
23%
% Black
20%
25%
% White
32%
41%
% Hawaiian
n/a
n/a
% Two or more races
5%
6%
All Ethnic Groups

District Revenue and Spending

The revenue/student of $11,441 is higher than the state median of $11,192. The school district revenue/student has grown by 10% over four school years.
The school district's spending/student of $11,018 is less than the state median of $11,617. The school district spending/student has grown by 6% over four school years.
This School District
This State (NC)
Total Revenue
$103 MM
$17,307 MM
Spending
$99 MM
$17,964 MM
Revenue / Student
$11,441
$11,192
Spending / Student
$11,018
$11,617

Best Lee County Schools Public Preschools (2026)

School
(Math and Reading Proficiency)
Location
Quick Facts
Rank: #11.
Broadway Elementary School
(Math: 42% | Reading: 39%)
Rank:
4/
10
Bottom 50%
307 S Main St
Broadway, NC 27505
(919) 258-3828
Gr: PK-5 | 482 students Student-teacher ratio: 13:1 Minority enrollment: 62%
Rank: #22.
Floyd L Knight Children Center
Special Education School
(Math: ≤20% | Reading: ≤20%)
Rank:
1/
10
Bottom 50%
607 W Mcintosh St
Sanford, NC 27330
(919) 774-4634
Gr: PK-12 | 115 students Student-teacher ratio: 8:1 Minority enrollment: 51%

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Quick Facts (2026)

  • District size: 16 schools
  • Grades: PK-13
  • Enrollment: 9,018 students
  • Student-Teacher Ratio: 14:1
  • Minority Enrollment: 68%
  • : 88% (Top 50% in NC)
  • : Bottom 50%
  • : 46% (Btm 50%)
  • : 42% (Btm 50%)
  • : 59% (Btm 50%)
  • Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), NC Dept. of Education

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