An equity score of 70/100 ranks Lee County Schools #49 of 297 districts in North Carolina (state average 45). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.
At $13,241 per pupil, Lee County Schools ranks #96 of 328 North Carolina districts by per-pupil spending (North Carolina districts). NCES F-33 finance data.
9,143
Total Enrollment
16
Schools
$13,241
Per-Pupil Spending
Elementary, High
School Types
District-Level NCES Analysis
Lee County Schools operates 16 public schools serving 9,143 students, placing it among the smaller districts in North Carolina. The school portfolio breaks down into 7 elementary, 3 high, 3 middle, 3 combined schools, a compact enough portfolio that families can compare every campus directly before they move, rent, or enrol. These enrollment and school figures come from the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2024-25 release, and the district is based in Lee County.
Per-pupil expenditure runs $13,241 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, in the upper half of 328 North Carolina districts by per-pupil spending. See how North Carolina compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 16.8% local, 59.9% state, and 23.3% federal, a state-revenue-heavy mix that insulates the district somewhat from local property-tax volatility, though it ties funding to state budget cycles. The district's equity score is 70/100, ranked #49 of 297 in North Carolina against a state average of 45, notably more even than the typical district in the state for how evenly funding reaches its schools.
Academic infrastructure includes 2 of 16 schools offering Advanced Placement (13 AP courses district-wide), a 411.8:1 student-counselor ratio, above both the ASCA benchmark and the roughly 408:1 national average, and 37.6% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 43.3% Hispanic or Latino, 30.7% White, 19.9% African American across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is J R Ingram Jr Elementary, with a diversity index of 70.1/100.
Its largest campus is Lee County High, enrolling 1,459 students (16% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Bragg Street Academy, at 40 students, a 36x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.
Lee County High accounts for 15.9% of all Lee County Schools student enrollment
That concentration means Lee County Schools-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the largest entity. Grade band: high. The share measures enrollment concentration only; it does not establish how the district allocates programs, capital, or staff. Enrollment-weighted aggregates give this entity more weight than any smaller peer, while an unweighted entity average treats every record equally.
Lee County Schools school enrollment varies 36× across entities
Lee County Schools school enrollment ranges from 40 students (lowest) to 1,459 students (highest), a spread of 1,419 students. That ratio is among the widest observed and reflects extreme enrollment heterogeneity, the district operates both small specialty programs and large comprehensive campuses inside a single budgeting unit. Per-school staffing ratios, programme availability, and capital-renovation cycles often diverge inside the same district based on enrollment shape.
Lee County Schools reports 62.7% free-lunch eligibility
The reported share sits between 62.5% and 75%, above a simple majority but below the highest descriptive band used here. Title I operates under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA, 2015), but its statutory allocation uses additional LEA-level counts and rules not represented by this average. This percentage is an economic-need context measure; it does not establish a Title I award, show dollars received, or describe how funds are distributed among campuses.
Lee County Schools student-counselor ratio is 412:1 — high (typically associated with staffing constraints that limit per-student counselor time; CRDC data shows higher ratios cluster in larger urban systems)
student-counselor ratio is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: the ratio counts FTE counselors against total enrollment, districts that contract intervention or social-emotional staff outside the counselor classification may be under-counted Higher values may reflect larger urban scale or recent resource constraints that have widened the gap.
Lee County Schools chronic absenteeism rate is 37.6% — high (typically associated with higher-than-average disruption; recent CRDC data showed elevated rates persisting after pandemic-era schooling changes)
chronic absenteeism rate is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: a student is chronically absent if they miss ≥10% of enrolled days for any reason, illness, family obligations, or disengagement Higher values may reflect larger urban scale or recent resource constraints that have widened the gap.
Lee County Schools has 16 schools, including 3 high, 3 middle, 7 elementary, 3 combined. Total enrollment is 9,143 students.
How much does Lee County Schools spend per student?
Lee County Schools spends $13,241 per student. The district has an equity score of 70/100, ranking #49 in North Carolina.
What is the demographic composition of Lee County Schools?
Lee County Schools students are 43.3% Hispanic or Latino, 30.7% White, 19.9% African American, 0.8% Asian, averaged across 16 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.
What is the equity score for Lee County Schools?
Lee County Schools has an equity score of 70/100, ranking #49 out of 297 districts in North Carolina.