Mina Charter School of Lee County, Sanford NC

Original Research by School Decision on Mina Charter School of Lee County

MINA Charter School of Lee County, operating under the name Rising Leaders Academy as of early 2024, is a public charter school serving kindergarten through eighth grade in Sanford, with an enrollment of around 400 students. The school serves a student population that is racially and ethnically diverse: roughly half Black and Hispanic students, with smaller shares of white and multiracial students. An overwhelming majority of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting a community with substantial economic need.

The school's recent state test results show proficiency rates in the mid-to-lower range. In the most recent testing period, roughly one-third of students tested met proficiency in math, around two-fifths in English language arts, and roughly one-third in science. These results place the school in a low-performance category by state designation, and parents considering enrollment should understand this clearly. The school has not reported comparative standing against other districts in Lee County, so a direct benchmark against neighboring schools is not available from the data provided.

A major operational shift is underway that directly affects families with older children. The school is transitioning from a K-8 model to K-5 elementary only. Current students in grades 6, 7, and 8 may complete their years there, but no new middle-school students will be admitted going forward. For families seeking a K-8 pathway or middle-school placement, this is a significant constraint; parents with elementary students should know that their children would need to transition to another school for middle grades.

The school has also undergone a brand change. It was rebranded to Rising Leaders Academy in early 2024, a shift that creates confusion across enrollment materials, state records, and third-party education sites, where the school may appear under either name. Prospective families will encounter both names in their research.

Sanford itself is a mixed-character city of roughly 40 miles southwest of Raleigh, anchored by a walkable historic downtown surrounded by car-dependent neighborhoods. The area economy is anchored by manufacturing, life sciences, and food production, with major employers including Pfizer, Tyson Foods, Caterpillar, and others. The city is experiencing notable housing and industrial growth, with new residential communities, downtown investment including a planned mobility hub, and expanding life-sciences facilities. Housing values and rental costs have been rising modestly year-over-year. The broader context is one of economic diversification and steady reinvestment, though the school's own test performance presents a challenge distinct from the community's economic trajectory.

A parent considering this school should weigh the low proficiency rates against the school's cost (tuition-free charter enrollment), the demographic composition of the student body, and the particular structure change affecting grade progression. The data on program offerings, staffing, or specialized supports was not available, so a parent may want to look into those further directly with the school. The transition to K-5 is particularly important to clarify if you have a child currently in or destined for middle grades.

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Academic performance

How students perform on state tests, by grade, set against the district.

Math

Grades 3-835%

School 35% · district not reported

▼ 21 pts below state median · ▼ 18 pts below county median

English language arts

Grades 3-839%

School 39% · district not reported

▼ 11 pts below state median · ▼ 7 pts below county median

Science

Grades 3-837%

School 37% · district not reported

▼ 23 pts below state median · ▼ 20 pts below county median

This schoolDistrict average, same grade

Graduation rate (ACGR) reflects the federally published Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate for the most recent year available. We refresh this data annually at the close of each academic year in June. The federal source publishes a banded rate (for example, "90-94%") instead of an exact number for cohorts small enough to risk identifying individual students. The state distribution chart, where shown, plots every school in the state with a published rate or band; schools whose rate is federally suppressed are excluded. Where the federal source publishes a band rather than an exact rate, the school is placed within its band using a stable, ID-derived offset, so its position is consistent across visits.

Proficiency by household income

English language arts

Grade 3Lower-income25%Higher-income20%5 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income40%Higher-income62%22 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income29%Higher-income45%16 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income25%Higher-income41%16 pp gap

Grades 3-8Lower-income34%Higher-income44%10 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income17%Higher-income30%13 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income35%Higher-income69%34 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income6%Higher-income30%24 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income25%Higher-income59%34 pp gap

Grades 3-8Lower-income25%Higher-income46%21 pp gap