Mahadev Maitri Foundation
US Initiatives
High· 16 schools in district

Lee Early College

1105 Kelly Drive, Sanford, NC 27330Lee County Schools →
Federal DataRegular SchoolGrades 09–13Non-Charter
272
Students
Total enrolled
93%
Grad Rate
Nat'l avg 87%
↑ 7% vs nat'l
$12,597
Per-Pupil Spend
Nat'l avg $14,347
↓ 12% vs nat'l
22.7 : 1
Student:Teacher
Nat'l avg 15.4:1
↑ 47% vs nat'l
38/100
Opportunity Score
Neighborhood outcomes
↓ 23% vs nat'l
⇄ Compare with another school
Small public school
Serves 272 students in grades 09–13 in Sanford, North Carolina.
12% below average funding
District spends $12,597 per pupil, 12% less than the national average of $14,347.
Below-median opportunity
Children from this neighborhood historically reach the 38th income percentile as adults, per Harvard/Census Opportunity Atlas data.
About This School

Lee Early College is a mid-sized high in Sanford, North Carolina, serving grades 09–13 with 272 students. The district invests $12,597 per student — 12% below the national average of $14,347, with a 22.7:1 student-teacher ratio that is higher than the national norm of 15.4:1. About 44% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a mixed-income student body. A neighborhood opportunity score of 38/100 — below the national median of 50 — is worth factoring into a fuller picture of long-term student outcomes.

Student Body & Demographics at Lee Early College

272
Total Students
22.7 : 1
Student:Teacher
44%
Free Lunch
12
Teacher FTE
Grade Range
PK
K
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
Highlighted grades (09–13) are served by this school
Gender Distribution118 male · 154 female
43%
57%
Male 43%Female 57%
Free / Reduced Lunch Eligibility44%
National avg 52% · 119 students
Student Composition
33%
45%
11%
Asian4%
White33%
Hispanic / Latino45%
Black11%
Multiracial7%
NCES Common Core of Data · Race/ethnicity self-reported · NCES ID: 370256002868

Academic Outcomes at Lee Early College

Graduation Rate (Adjusted Cohort)
GE90
High
National avg 87%
Graduation Rate Comparison
This school
93%
State avg
84%
National avg
87%
Neighborhood Opportunity Score
38
/ 100
Below-median opportunity

Children from modest-income families in this neighborhood reach the 38th income percentile as adults. This school is in the 21th percentile nationally.

0 — Low50 — MedianHigh — 100
Opportunity Atlas (Chetty, Friedman et al., Harvard/Census) · Census tract · ZIP 27330

School Resources & Funding

Per-Pupil Expenditure$12,597Below avg
National avg $14,347
Per-Pupil Spending Comparison
This school
$12,597
State avg
$13,042
National avg
$14,347
How School Funding Is Typically Spent
44%
19%
12%
15%
Instruction$5,543
Student Support$2,393
Administration$1,512
Operations$1,890
Other$1,260
Estimated using national average spending distribution (NCES) · School-level breakdowns not publicly reported
Of the $12,597 spent per student, an estimated $5,580 (~44%) goes directly to classroom instruction.
Where Funding Comes From
60%
17%
State government
59.9%
Local (property tax)
16.8%
Federal programs
23.3%
NCES F-33 Finance Survey · District-level data applied to this school
Strengths & Considerations
Strengths
  • 93% graduation rate — well above the 87% national average
  • Traditional public school — open enrollment, no application process required
Worth Considering
  • 22.7:1 student-teacher ratio — larger classes than the national average of 15.4:1
Strengths and considerations are derived from federal data thresholds — not editorial judgements. See data sources below.
K–12 Pathway in District
Elementary
WB Wicker ElementaryTramway ElementaryJ Glenn Edwards ElementaryGreenwood Elementary
+4 more
↓
Middle
SanLee Middle SchoolWest Lee MiddleEast Lee Middle
↓
High School
Lee County HighSouthern Lee High SchoolBragg Street Academy
School Profile
TypeRegular School
LevelHigh
Grades09 – 13
Location—
CountyLee County
CharterNo
VirtualNo
DistrictLee County Schools →
Phone: (919)888-4502
NCES ID: 370256002868
Who Is This School For?

Best suited for families in Sanford seeking a public high school, especially those prioritizing strong graduation outcomes and academic completion. We always recommend an in-person visit and a conversation with current families before making any enrollment decision.

More in Lee County Schools
High
Lee County High
1,508 students · 09–12
● 38 opp60% FRL
High
Southern Lee High School
1,234 students · 09–12
61% FRL
Mid
SanLee Middle School
809 students · 06–08
70% FRL
Mid
West Lee Middle
607 students · 06–08
● 38 opp71% FRL
Elem
WB Wicker Elementary
575 students · KG–05
● 38 opp85% FRL
Elem
Tramway Elementary
545 students · KG–05
● 38 opp47% FRL
Elem
J Glenn Edwards Elementary
532 students · KG–05
76% FRL
Mid
East Lee Middle
531 students · 06–08
● 38 opp71% FRL
District School Rankings
Location
1105 Kelly Drive, Sanford, NC 27330
Data Sources & Transparency
Enrollment & Profile
NCES Common Core of Data. Grades, enrollment, demographics, school characteristics. Updated annually.
Funding & Spending
NCES F-33 Finance Survey. District-level spending data. School-level breakdowns are not publicly reported.
Graduation Rate
EDFacts Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate (ACGR). High schools only. Small cohorts may be range-coded for privacy.
Opportunity Score
Opportunity Atlas (Chetty, Friedman et al., Harvard/Census Bureau). Census tract outcomes for children born in the 1980s.
Fact-Based Rankings
Best-school rankings are computed from federal metrics only — enrollment, per-pupil spending, student-teacher ratio, opportunity score, and graduation rate. No editorial opinion or paid placements.
Equity Data (Coming Soon)
AP access, counselor ratios, and chronic absenteeism from the CRDC will be added in a future update.

Questions to Ask on Your School Visit

Research shows the most important factors are invisible in the data. Here is what to ask when you visit.

High
1
What percentage of students take AP or dual enrollment courses?
Indicates academic rigor and college prep
2
What college counseling and application support is provided?
Ratio of students per counselor matters
3
What career and vocational pathways are offered?
CTE programs, internships, industry partnerships
4
How does the school support students at risk of not graduating?
Credit recovery, attendance intervention
5
What's the school's culture around attendance and behavior?
Discipline approach, restorative practices
6
What happens after graduation — where do students go?
Ask about college, career, military outcomes
7
What does the school do with student performance data?
How data is used to personalize instruction
8
How would you describe teacher retention here?
High turnover can disrupt continuity of learning
9
What's the culture around student diversity and inclusion?
How differences are celebrated and managed

Frequently Asked Questions

About this school and the data on this page

About This Data

All figures on this page come directly from US federal open datasets — NCES Common Core of Data, EDFacts, and the Opportunity Atlas — and we work hard to keep them accurate and up to date. That said, federal data is published on an annual cycle, so some figures may not yet reflect the very latest school-year changes or local updates. We recommend using this page as a helpful starting point and cross-checking with the school or district directly, or visiting the NCES Common Core of Data and ed.gov for the most authoritative figures before making any important decisions.