Lee County Schools
Lee County Schools is a public school district based in Sanford, North Carolina, serving 9,168 students in 16 schools. By enrollment it ranks #38 of the 112 North Carolina districts with 1,000 or more students, larger than about 67% of them. Its schools average 573 students each, more than the North Carolina median of 446. Its superintendent is Dr Christopher P Dossenbach. It spends about $10,046 per student on day-to-day operations, 10% less than the North Carolina median. It has roughly 16.0 students per teacher.
How Lee County compares
Spending and staffing
| Measure | Lee County | North Carolina median | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Current spending per student | $10,046 | $11,153 | FY2020-21 |
| Instruction spending per student | $6,541 | $6,920 | FY2020-21 |
| Total spending | $99.4 million | n/a | FY2020-21 |
| Total revenue | $103.2 million | n/a | FY2020-21 |
| Teachers (full-time equivalent) | 572 | n/a | 2024-25 |
| Students per teacher | 16.0 | 15.7 | 2024-25 |
| Students per counselor | 353 | 358 | 2024-25 |
Spending: NCES school district finance survey (F-33), FY2020-21. Staffing and enrollment: NCES Common Core of Data, 2024-25. Via the Urban Institute Education Data Portal. The North Carolina median compares districts with 1,000 or more students.
Leadership
Moves tracker →Dr Christopher P Dossenbach
Source: NC Department of Public Instruction, EDDIE, checked 2026-10-19. Report a change
In the news
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Peer districts in North Carolina
Compare side by side →| District | Students | Schools | Spending per student | Students per teacher | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Duplin County SchoolsKenansville | 9,822 | 13 | $9,896 | 16.2 | #37 |
| Lee County SchoolsSanford · this district | 9,168 | 16 | $10,046 | 16.0 | #38 |
| Chatham County SchoolsPittsboro | 8,987 | 21 | $11,480 | 13.9 | #39 |
| Stanly County SchoolsAlbemarle | 8,743 | 23 | $10,066 | 15.3 | #40 |
| Hoke County SchoolsRaeford | 8,732 | 14 | $10,406 | 15.8 | #41 |
Similar-size districts nationally
| District | Students | Spending per student | Students per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saugus UnionSanta Clarita, CA | 9,191 | $11,840 | 26.6 |
| Berkeley UnifiedBerkeley, CA | 9,162 | $18,919 | 19.2 |
| Crown Point Community School CorporationCrown Point, IN | 9,147 | $8,883 | 18.4 |
| Fairfield School DistrictFairfield, CT | 9,139 | $23,513 | 10.6 |
Peers are the districts closest in enrollment, so they can still differ in many other ways. Enrollment, school counts and phone numbers are from the NCES Common Core of Data, 2024-25.
Printed from Superintendent's Corner: https://superintendentscorner.com/district-nc-lee-county-schools