Enrollment
272
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Sanford, NC
Lee Early College
Federal NCES profile for Lee Early College, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 45/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 370256002868
👥 S:T ratio 9
📚 AP courses 10
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 46
📋 Attendance 91
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Lee Early College earns 45/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 94% of North Carolina schools.
- #1 of 3
- high schools in Sanford · Resource Index
- 45
- Resource Index · Typical
- 22.7:1
- large classes for North Carolina
- 40.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Lee Early College has class sizes larger than 94% of North Carolina schools. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Lee Early College ranks #1 of 3 high schools in Sanford, NC.
School address
District: Lee County Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370256002868 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
12.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
22.7:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
+44% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
40.4%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
-39% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Lee Early College compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Lee Early College
Lee Early College is a mid-sized high school in Sanford, North Carolina, enrolling 272 students.
Class loads run heavy: 22.7:1 is larger than about 94% of North Carolina schools and 44% above the 15.8:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 40.4% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 272 puts it in the smaller third of North Carolina schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 2,698 scored North Carolina schools.
Against 175 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #47.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (53%) and White (31%) (diversity index 61/100).
No Advanced Placement courses are reported for this campus in the federal data.
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 272 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Attendance holds up well here: only 3.7% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Its district draws 23.3% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Sanford's high schools, it stands alongside Lee County High (1,459 students): Lee Early College is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (22.7:1 vs 15.4:1).
Lee County Schools also operates Lee County High (1,459 students) and Southern Lee High School (1,180 students) alongside Lee Early College.
Sourced from NCES CCD, CRDC, and F-33 (federal records, not a quality verdict). How we source and compute this.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Lee Early College compares
Lee Early College on the metrics families compare, against North Carolina and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs North Carolina | North Carolina avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 22.7:1 | ▲ 44% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 40.4% | ▼ 39% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 272 | top 80% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
22.7:1
Leaner classes than 9% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
272
Bigger than 28% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
40.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 39% below the North Carolina average of 66.0%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
22.7:1
students per teacher
- 44% above state mean
Top 94% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 6% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
3.7%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Below 5%, comfortably under the pre-pandemic national baseline for chronic absenteeism.
Funding equity
$12,250
per pupil, district-wide
- above North Carolina avg of $12,017
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 272 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
12
in-school suspensions + 1 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 4.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 4.8 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
- Common Core of Data (June 2026): enrollment, staffing, and the student-teacher ratio above.
- Civil Rights Data Collection: discipline counts and program access (AP, gifted, special education).
- F-33 School District Finance Survey: the district-wide per-pupil spending figures below.
Three separate federal collections, each on its own reporting cadence - which is why this school's numbers line up on a consistent basis against every other school and state on this site, rather than mixing figures pulled from different survey years.
Student demographics
Hispanic or Latino 53.3%
White 30.5%
African American 8.1%
Two or More 5.1%
Asian 2.6%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.4%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 53.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 61.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 61.3, Lee Early College is more mixed than the North Carolina school average of 56.1.
Programs
AP program Not offered
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Lee County Schools, which includes Lee Early College.
$12,250
Per student
+2%
vs North Carolina
Avg $12,017
-26%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 16.8%
State 59.9%
Federal 23.3%
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2021-22 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.
How Lee Early College Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lee County High | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Southern Lee High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Sanlee Middle School | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Wb Wicker Elementary | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| J Glenn Edwards Elementary | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Lee Early College's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,459
- Students per teacher
- 15.4:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 1,180
- Students per teacher
- 15.7:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 792
- Students per teacher
- 14.9:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 588
- Students per teacher
- 14.7:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 587
- Students per teacher
- 15.1:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
Similar high schools in Sanford
2 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
Similar high schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of North Carolina, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~272 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~22.7:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Lee Early College's federal record.
- Compare Lee Early College against another school. Compare schools
- Lee County Schools's spending and staffing shape this school. District profile
- Confirm current enrollment and boundaries with the school. Choosing guide
Federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) - PlainSchools assigns no subjective rating; the composite quality score is a transparent, reproducible index computed from this cited federal data.
Frequently asked questions about Lee Early College
How many students attend Lee Early College?
Lee Early College has 272 students enrolled. It is a high school in Sanford, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Lee Early College?
The student-teacher ratio at Lee Early College is 22.7:1, which is 44% higher than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 45% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Lee Early College?
40.4% of students at Lee Early College are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Lee Early College?
The largest demographic group at Lee Early College is Hispanic or Latino at 53.3% of enrollment, in Sanford, NC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 61.3/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Lee Early College?
Lee Early College has a Resource Investment Index of 45/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Lee Early College rank among high schools in Sanford?
By Resource Investment Index, Lee Early College ranks #1 of 3 high schools in Sanford, NC. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all high schools in Sanford on the city page.
Is Lee Early College a good school?
Lee Early College earns 45/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 94% of North Carolina schools. This is a resource snapshot, not an academic rating; see the Resource Investment Index question above for what the number does and doesn't measure.
What other schools are in Lee County Schools?
Besides Lee Early College, Lee County Schools also operates Lee County High (1,459 students), Southern Lee High School (1,180 students), and Sanlee Middle School (792 students). See the Lee County Schools district page for the complete list.
Related tools
Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. Each school's figures reflect its most recent NCES/CRDC submission on file. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.