Total enrollment
9,168
-254 (-3%) vs SY 2020-21
16 schools in Lee County Schools
North Carolina · 9,168 students · 2 cities
Lee County Schools runs 16 public K-12 schools per the latest NCES counts, with total enrollment near 9,168 (8 elementary, 3 middle, and 4 high).
4-year change in Lee County Schools
SY 2020-21 vs SY 2024-25School count
16
0 (0%) vs SY 2020-21
Source: NCES Common Core of Data, enrollment-weighted demographic averages
How Lee County Schools ranks
Among districts| Measure | This district | In North Carolina | In the US |
|---|---|---|---|
| State test proficiency ranked highest first | 46.7% | #74 of 112 | N/A |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 9,168 | #38 of 116 | #1,011 of 9,234 |
| Number of schools ranked most first | 16 | #49 of 116 | N/A |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 16.2:1 | #70 of 116 | #6,569 of 9,044 |
| Free or reduced-price lunch share ranked highest first | 98.7% | #43 of 114 | #362 of 8,164 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 67.3% | #32 of 111 | #710 of 6,853 |
Districts need at least 2 schools and 500 students to be ranked. Test proficiency is ranked within the state only, since each state gives a different test. Each rank links to the full list.
Inside Lee County Schools
State test results across the district's 14 scored schools run from Lee Early College at 82.5% proficient to Lee County High at 27.1%, a gap of 55.4 points. That is the 27th widest gap among 104 North Carolina districts with four or more scored schools.
Since 2017-18, the 15 district schools that reported both years went from 10,044 to 8,580 students (down 15%) and from 657 to 523 full-time teachers (down 20%), as of 2024-25.
Proficient is the average share of students meeting the state standard across each school's state tests in 2023-24 and 2024-25; schools with fewer than 100 students and schools serving specialized populations are left out. Staffing figures come from the NCES Common Core of Data and count only schools that reported students and teachers in both years.
| Name | City | Level | Grades | Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lee County High | Sanford | High | 09-12 | 1,459 |
| Southern Lee High School | Sanford | High | 09-12 | 1,180 |
| SanLee Middle School | Sanford | Middle | 06-08 | 792 |
| WB Wicker Elementary | Sanford | Elementary | KG-05 | 588 |
| J Glenn Edwards Elementary | Sanford | Elementary | KG-05 | 587 |
| Greenwood Elementary | Sanford | Elementary | KG-05 | 571 |
| Tramway Elementary | Sanford | Elementary | KG-05 | 559 |
| Deep River Elementary | Sanford | Elementary | KG-05 | 557 |
| East Lee Middle | Sanford | Middle | 06-08 | 526 |
| West Lee Middle | Sanford | Middle | 06-08 | 522 |
| BT Bullock Elementary | Sanford | Elementary | KG-05 | 511 |
| Broadway Elementary | Broadway | Elementary | PK-05 | 490 |
| J R Ingram Jr Elementary | Sanford | Elementary | KG-05 | 419 |
| Lee Early College | Sanford | High | 09-13 | 272 |
| Floyd L Knight Children Center | Sanford | Combined | PK-12 | 95 |
| Bragg Street Academy | Sanford | High | 06-12 | 40 |
About Lee County Schools
Across 16 schools, Lee County Schools serves about 9,168 students in North Carolina. By footprint it is a low-population district.
In terms of grade levels, Lee County Schools consists of 8 elementary, 3 middle, 4 high schools, and 1 combined or other.
Trend over the past 4 years. Combined enrollment now sits at 9,168 students, contracted 3% from the 9,422 reported in SY 2020-21.
In the discussion threads here, the community for Lee County Schools discusses sports rivalries, cross-district programs, and shared facilities. Posts come from current and former families, staff, and alumni.