Lee County Schools

Sanford, North Carolina — 16 schools

9,143
Total Enrollment
16
Schools
$12,597
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 other schools, giving families a clear picture of grade-band coverage before they move, rent, or enrol. Aggregated across those campuses, enrollment totals 9,168 pupils using the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2022-23 release, and the district is geographically located in Lee County County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $12,597 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, which aggregates every revenue and spending line reported under federal accounting standards. The funding mix is 16.8% local, 59.9% state, and 23.3% federal — a breakdown that matters because districts leaning heavily on local revenue are more exposed to property-tax swings, while higher federal shares typically track Title I concentration. Average teacher compensation clocks in at $80,852 per NCES F-33, a signal of the district's ability to recruit and retain staff against neighbouring districts. The district's equity score — 63/100, ranked #67 of 293 in North Carolina against a state average of 45 — measures how evenly funding reaches schools within its boundaries.

Academic infrastructure includes 2 of 16 schools offering Advanced Placement (13 AP courses district-wide), a 411.8:1 student-counselor ratio, above the 250:1 ASCA recommendation, and 41.5% 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.

Lee County High accounts for 15.9% of all Lee County Schools student enrollment

That concentration — well above the 8.4% national median for largest-entity share — means Lee County Schools-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the dominant entity. Grade band: high. A single dominant campus often anchors a district's program offerings and staffing patterns; the share helps explain why district-wide averages may not reflect the typical neighbourhood-school experience. When one entity dominates a region's footprint, its programmatic and budget decisions effectively set policy for a majority of the affected population.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data NCES Common Core of Data

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.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data NCES Common Core of Data

Lee County Schools has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 65.7% of the population qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch

free or reduced-price lunch eligibility is the federal threshold for Title I funding allocations, established under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA, 2015). Areas above 75% eligibility receive concentration grants on top of the basic Title I formula. Regions with eligibility this high typically draw a substantially larger federal funding share relative to their local tax base, which can either offset or reinforce existing gaps depending on allocation policy.

Source: ESSA Title I Part A; ED EDFacts file system ESSA Title I Part A; ED EDFacts file system

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.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection NCES Civil Rights Data Collection

Lee County Schools chronic absenteeism rate is 41.5% — 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.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22 NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22

Where does the funding come from?

23.3%
Federal
59.9%
State
16.8%
Local

Funding Equity

63
Equity Score
67 / 293
State Rank
45
State Average

This district has moderate funding equity. There may be room to improve funding diversity or resource allocation.

Local Rent Costs

Fair Market Rents in Lee County county, where this district is located.

$874
Studio/mo
$880
1 BR/mo
$1,136
2 BR/mo
$1,362
3 BR/mo
$1,715
4 BR/mo

Average Teacher Salary

$80,852
Average annual teacher salary

Source: NCES CCD F-33 (Finance Survey).

Teacher salary data from NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey.

Student Demographics

Average demographic composition across 16 schools in Lee County Schools.

White 30.7%
Hispanic or Latino 43.3%
African American 19.9%
Asian 0.8%
Multiracial 4.9%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Programs & Resources

2 / 16
Schools with AP
13 AP courses total
411.8:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
41.5%
Chronically Absent

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) 2021-22.

Schools in Lee County Schools

School Enrollment
Lee County High
1,459
Southern Lee High School
1,180
Sanlee Middle School
792
Wb Wicker Elementary
588
J Glenn Edwards Elementary
587
Greenwood Elementary
571
Tramway Elementary
559
Deep River Elementary
557
East Lee Middle
526
West Lee Middle
522
Bt Bullock Elementary
511
Broadway Elementary
490
J R Ingram Jr Elementary
419
Lee Early College
272
Floyd L Knight Children Center
95
Bragg Street Academy
40

Nearby Districts in North Carolina

Top districts in the same state — compare side-by-side for enrollment, spending, and demographics.

Wake County Schools
159,778 students · 197 schools · $14,074/pupil
Compare vs Lee County Schools →
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools
144,197 students · 180 schools · $15,997/pupil
Compare vs Lee County Schools →
Guilford County Schools
68,894 students · 126 schools · $13,788/pupil
Compare vs Lee County Schools →
Winston Salem / Forsyth County Schools
52,717 students · 81 schools · $14,195/pupil
Compare vs Lee County Schools →
Cumberland County Schools
49,661 students · 86 schools · $12,982/pupil
Compare vs Lee County Schools →

Compare Lee County Schools

See how this district compares to others in enrollment, spending, demographics, and academic resources.

Compare vs Wake County Schools →

Frequently Asked Questions

How many schools are in Lee County Schools?

Lee County Schools has 16 schools, including 3 high, 3 middle, 7 elementary, 3 other. Total enrollment is 9,143 students.

How much does Lee County Schools spend per student?

Lee County Schools spends $12,597 per student. The district has an equity score of 63/100, ranking #67 in North Carolina.

What is the average teacher salary in Lee County Schools?

The average teacher salary in Lee County Schools is $80,852 per year, according to the NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey.

What is the average rent near Lee County Schools?

The HUD Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom in Lee County County is $N/A/month (2026). This affects housing affordability for families in the district.

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 63/100, ranking #67 out of 293 districts in North Carolina. This score measures resource distribution fairness across schools in the district.

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