Broadway’s ‘Head of Class’ win proof that effort, growth and perseverance matter
School’s recognition show progress is possible ‘when the entire school community works together to support learning’
Broadway Elementary Principal, Wendy Perrell, celebrates with her staff at the surprise announcement.
January 6, 2026
SANFORD — For second-year Principal Wendy Perrell, Broadway Elementary School’s recognition as this year’s “Head of Class” winning elementary school represents more than a significant achievement.
More meaningful, Perrell says, is that it’s the culmination of years of steady work and collective commitment.
This 2024-25 Head of Class award — the Lee County Education Foundation’s annual prize for the school showing the best year-over-year academic improvement — marks the first time Broadway Elementary has received recognition since HOC’s inception in 2011.
“Receiving the award this year affirms that the instructional changes and strategic supports we’ve put in place are making a measurable difference for students,” Perrell said.
The Lee County Education Foundation created the “Head of Class” award in 2010 to recognize the most-improved elementary school in Lee County, using a variety of academic measurements to track year-over-year improvement. Perrell and her staff were surprised with the announcement of the award at an after-school meeting on Jan. 6; a formal celebration is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. on Monday, Feb. 23. The prize includes a cash bonus of $75,000 to be distributed among Broadway Elementary’s faculty and staff.
“For our staff, the award recognizes their dedication, collaboration, and belief in student potential,” Perrell said. “For our students, it reinforces that effort, growth and perseverance matter. Many of our students face challenges outside of school, and this recognition sends a powerful message that progress is possible when the entire school community works together to support learning.”
MEETING STUDENTS’ NEEDS
Perrell said Broadway Elementary’s school-wide focus on instructional consistency, targeted interventions and collaborative planning have been key to its academic successes. Among the results: overall achievement rate increased from 36.5% to 43.8% in the past year, while the growth index swung from a negative number — a minus 2.11 — to a plus 1.35, helping the school meet state growth expectations for the first time since the 2021–2022 school year. In addition, Broadway’s overall growth conversion score rose from 69.4 to 83.3, reflecting stronger academic gains across all student groups.
“Teachers regularly analyzed student data to identify learning gaps and adjust instruction to meet individual student needs,” Perrell said. “One key structure supporting this work was the school’s GAME Time (Growing Academic Minds Everyday), which provides 35–40 minutes of strategic small-group instruction and personalized intervention in reading and math each day. These targeted supports contributed to growth across all student subgroups.”
Other specific areas of emphasis at Broadway:
Early literacy, resulting in a significant increase in the number of K-2 students scoring at or above grade-level benchmarks
Math performance, which improved across grades 3–5, with proficiency rates ranging from 41% to 53% — a significant contributor, Perrell said, to the school’s overall performance score increasing from 43 to 52, placing Broadway within 2.5 points of a C rating.
Weekly Professional Learning Communities, allowing teachers to align instruction to standards, refine strategies, and monitor progress throughout the year. That also contributed to high staff retention and improved teacher attendance — which Perrell said strengthened instructional continuity and helped ensure students received consistent, high-quality instruction.
Perrell said goal-setting at Broadway Elementary is a collaborative and data-driven process focused on continuous improvement. Goals are driven by multiple data sources and strategies aligned to ensure consistent implementation across classrooms.
“Leadership at Broadway emphasizes shared ownership,” she said. “Teachers and instructional coaches and administrators work together to maintain a clear focus on student outcomes while providing ongoing support and feedback.”
A CLOSE-KNIT COMMUNITY
Perrell’s career in education spans 25 years, taking a position teaching business and marketing at West Lee Middle School in 2001 after working in the banking industry. She served in district mentor and technology facilitator positions and then as assistant principal at B.T. Bullock before joining Wake County Public Schools in 2019, where she worked as a literacy coach. Perrell left that position in the fall of 2023 to become Broadway’s principal.
A ‘REMARKABLE’ LEAP
“I was especially drawn to Broadway Elementary because it parallels the close-knit community where I lived and grew up as a student,” she said. “Broadway is deeply rooted in its community, with generations of families who were born, raised, and educated here — much like my own childhood experience. The relationships among families, staff, and students are strong and enduring, creating a culture of support, pride, and shared responsibility for student success.”
Perrell called the school “a natural and meaningful fit” that aligned with her personal vision of education. It also provided her an opportunity, she said, to combine professional experience with her personal values — “supporting teachers, partnering with families, and ensuring every student feels safe, loved, and challenged to reach their full potential.”
Dr. Chris Dossenbach, the superintendent of Lee County Schools, described Perrell’s leadership as “exceptional” and praised the work done there.
“Broadway has achieved remarkable growth, allowing the broader community to see what we have always known to be true — the students and staff at Broadway Elementary are hardworking, talented, and capable of doing extraordinary things when given the opportunity and support they deserve,” Dossenbach said. “The Head of Class Project is a powerful reminder of what can happen when public schools and private partners come together with a shared belief in students and educators.”
Susan Keller, the chairperson of the Lee County Education Foundation’s board of directors, said Broadway Elementary was a fitting recipient of the Foundation’s flagship prize.
“We are thrilled to present the Head of Class Award to Broadway Elementary, a school being recognized with this honor for the very first time,” she said. “At the Lee County Education Foundation, we believe this award should be both fair and attainable for every school, and Broadway Elementary exemplifies that vision. Their remarkable progress reflects a powerful combination of strong leadership, intentional planning, and outstanding execution — all in service of student success.”
In addition to the award for elementary schools, the Foundation, in partnership with the Ruby & Ernest McSwain Worthy Lands Trust, began presenting “Head of Class” honors to one of Lee County’s three middle schools as well in 2024. West Lee was recognized as the 2024-25 winner of the Ruby & Ernest McSwain Middle School Head of Class winner in December.
Perrell said that while Broadway Elementary is proud to be named Head of Class, the school remains focused on continued growth and improvement.
“Overall proficiency levels, targeted subgroup performance, and high student achievement remain priority areas,” she said. “This recognition serves as both a celebration of progress and a reminder of the responsibility to continue building on that momentum. It also highlights what is possible when students, staff, families, and the community work together with a shared commitment to learning. Broadway Elementary looks forward to continuing this work in partnership with Lee County Schools to ensure success for every student.”
ABOUT THE FOUNDATION
The Lee County Education Foundation was formed in 2003 by a group of community leaders to raise money to support innovative, research-based educational programs to help Lee County Schools produce outstanding graduates well prepared for the 21st century workplace and success in life. The Foundation has directly invested more than $1.3 million in a variety of initiatives to serve teachers and students. Those include the flagship “Head of Class” project, which recognizes the district’s top performing elementary school with a cash gift of $75,000 to be shared by the winning school’s faculty and staff, and a $50,000 prize at the middle school level, thanks to a partnership with the Earnest & Ruby McSwain Worthy Lands Trust. The Foundation has also teamed with the Sloan Foundation to create the Temple Sloan Lee County Teaching Fellows Program, a “build-your-own” forgivable loan initiative designed to help develop a pipeline of dedicated and trained individuals who are excited about the teaching profession and ready to become teachers in Lee County.
Pictured: Chris Dossenbach (Superintendent of Lee County Schools), Wendy Perrell (Principal of Broadway Elementary School), and Wendy Wicker Phillips (executive director of Lee County Education Foundation)