Rising Leaders Academy

Rising Leaders Academy is a low-enrollment elementary school based in Sanford, North Carolina. School enrollment was 282 students in 2024-25, in kindergarten through 8. For comparison, elementary schools in North Carolina average about 467 students.

In federal data, the district for Rising Leaders Academy is the school itself.

Rising Leaders Academy's enrollment has no majority group, and Black students are the largest at 38%. After that, the student body is 30% Hispanic, 20% White, and 11% multiracial. Among all residents of Lee County, the Black share is about 18%. Rising Leaders Academy has a diversity index of 72%, compared with 70% for all US public school students.

Dividing enrollment by its 28.2 full-time-equivalent teachers gives a ratio of about 10.0:1. Among elementary schools in North Carolina, the typical ratio is 14.9:1. Eligible students account for 98% of enrollment in the free or reduced-price lunch program.

Recent Census Bureau figures for Lee County show that median household income is about $65,387, about 21% of adults have at least a bachelor's degree, and roughly 13% of residents are in poverty. Rising Leaders Academy is one of 20 public schools in Lee County, which together enroll about 10,641 students.

The school nearest to Rising Leaders Academy is J Glenn Edwards Elementary, at a distance of about 0.9 miles. Within five miles of Rising Leaders Academy, there are at least 8 other public schools.

Its location is classified as Town: Distant by the National Center for Education Statistics. Rising Leaders Academy is a charter school, a type of public school that operates under a charter.

The number of students grew from 244 to 282 over 4 years. By 2024-25, the school had 10.0 students per teacher, compared with 14.3 in 2020-21.

The discussion area below is open to posts about school events, clubs, and volunteer needs. Questions from prospective families are welcome too.