The top reported proficiency rate is 77% in Science. The lowest is 49% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Connect Academy
Connect Academy is a small K–12 school located in West End, a mainly residential, unincorporated community in Moore County's Sandhills region. The school serves just over three hundred students across all grade levels, from kindergarten through twelfth grade. Its enrollment is distributed unevenly across grades, with some grade levels having as few as ten to seventeen students and others reaching the low thirties.
The student body is predominantly white, with substantial representation of Black students and smaller populations of Hispanic and multiracial students. About four in ten students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a meaningful share reflecting the economic diversity of the families served. Data on students with IEPs or English learners was not available.
On recent state testing, Connect Academy's performance is uneven. In English language arts for grades 3 through 8, about two-thirds of tested students demonstrated proficiency. Science results are stronger, with roughly three in four students proficient, though it should be noted that science testing underwent a name and scoring change that year, making year-to-year comparison unclear. Mathematics proficiency is the area of concern: roughly half of tested students in grades 3 through 8 met proficiency benchmarks. A parent considering this school may want to look further into the school's approach to math instruction and any targeted support available to students at risk in that subject.
Connect Academy has no graduation rate reported, which is typical for a school serving kindergarten through twelfth grade that draws students from multiple prior schools and may have enrollment changes across high school years; a more precise high school completion rate, if available, would require a conversation directly with the school. State testing data for high school grades (end-of-course exams) was not provided in the available information.
West End itself is car-oriented and residential. The area centers on gated subdivisions such as Seven Lakes North, South, and West, along with scattered single-family homes on spacious lots. There is no walkable downtown or main street; shopping and dining typically require driving to nearby Pinehurst or Southern Pines. Housing values are moderately above the state average, and home prices have risen steadily. The area has experienced steady residential growth tied to new construction and the widening of NC Highway 211, which passes through the former Stanley Furniture plant site. Employment for residents draws largely from healthcare (FirstHealth of the Carolinas), county services, and the golf and equestrian economy anchored in Pinehurst.
Moore County Schools, the district serving Connect Academy, has recently opened Moore Innovative High School on the Sandhills Community College campus, a new pathway in skilled trades that allows students to earn industry certifications or an associate degree alongside a high school diploma. The district also completed three new K–5 elementary schools over the past few years (Aberdeen, Southern Pines, and Pinehurst Elementary), financed by a bond approved by voters. A November 2026 bond referendum for a new Carthage Elementary School is upcoming and will affect county property taxes. The district funds a portion of school construction through a dedicated quarter-cent local sales tax, a factor that shifts some of the cost burden away from property taxes.
For families weighing Connect Academy, the main questions are the school's specific support for math proficiency in the middle grades, the completeness of its high school offerings and completion rate, and whether its small size and grade-span structure fit the family's educational approach.
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