Head of Class prize a ‘much needed win’ for West Lee Middle School
In re-writing school’s academic story, Principal Aimee Petrarca recognizes dedication, belief, hard work of students and staff
West Lee Principal Aimee Petrarca, LCEF Executive Director Wendy Wicker Phillips, LCEF Chairperson Susan Keller celebrate West Lee’s Head of Class achievement.
December 11, 2025
SANFORD — As a principal and assistant principal, Aimee Petrarca had already been a part of four “Head of Class” celebrations during her tenure at Greenwood Elementary School.
So when the Lee County Education Foundation — which launched Head of Class in 2010 to recognize the Lee County elementary school with the best year-over-year academic improvement — announced in 2024 the creation of a new Head of Class prize at the middle school level, Petrarca took note.
She even took the newspaper clipping of that story to her new job as principal at West Lee Middle School.
“I cut this out and stuck it on my office door,” Petrarca said at a reception Wednesday honoring West Lee as the 2024-25 winner of the Ruby & Ernest McSwain Middle School Head of Class winner. “It was our physical symbol that we were reaching for that goal. I didn’t expect it to come so quickly, but I’m very happy that it has.”
The Education Foundation, in partnership with the Ernest & Ruby McSwain Worthy Lands Trust, recognized West Lee leadership, faculty and staff at a ceremony in West Lee’s library Wednesday afternoon. The Head of Class festivities also included presenting the school with a symbolic check for $50,000. All faculty and staff who were a part of the school’s work last school year will share in that cash incentive.
NOT ‘LOW-PERFORMING’
The turnaround Petrarca sparked at West Lee meant that for the first time in five years, it’s no longer classified by the state of North Carolina as a “low-perfoming” school. Petrarca’s first year as principal there also coincided with the first time West Lee has exceeded academic growth since 2016, and the highest single-year level of student performance growth the school has achieved.
“The substantial growth at West Lee was the result of intentional work across several key areas,” Petrarca said. “We focused on building a strong school culture where students felt genuine pride in their purpose and identity as learners. We also implemented clear systems for analyzing the right data and creating actionable plans based on what we, as a school, could directly influence. West Lee already had many strengths; last year, we aligned those strengths toward a shared, unified focus. That made all the difference.”
Petrarca, who earlier this year was named Lee County Schools’ “Principal of the Year,” has a track record of driving academic success — including plenty of familiarity with Head of Class prizes.
Leading West Lee Middle School to this year’s award marks Petrarca’s fifth time at a Head of Class-winning school. In more than 25 years in Lee County Schools, she’s worked in roles of classroom teacher, assistant principal and principal, previously serving as principal at W.B. Wicker Elementary School (in addition to Greenwood Elementary) prior to coming to West Lee last year. At Greenwood, she was a three-time “Head of Class” winner as principal (2015, 2017, 2022), and assistant principal under Vicki Haislip — now a member of the Education Foundation’s board of directors — for Greenwood’s first win in 2012.
Natalie Kelly, Lee County Schools’ assistant superintendent of curriculum and instruction, said the middle school Head of Class scoring formula examines a school’s annual growth, proficiency and attendance.
“West Lee’s 52.8-point increase in growth last year certainly was a significant contributing factor in them earning the Head of Class title this year,” she said.
(Kelly previously served as principal at SanLee Middle School, which was the inaugural winner of the Ruby & Ernest McSwain Middle School Head of Class for the 2023-24 school year before being promoted to Lee County Schools’ central office staff last June 1.)
West Lee Middle School’s Aimee Petrarca, who earlier this year was named Lee County Schools’ “Principal of the Year,” has a track record of driving academic success — including plenty of familiarity with Head of Class prizes.
A ‘REMARKABLE’ LEAP
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. In 2024, in partnership with the Ruby & Ernest McSwain Worthy Lands Trust, LCEF earmarked up to $50,000 to begin annually giving “Head of Class” honors to one of Lee County’s three middle schools as well — West Lee, East Lee or SanLee Middle School.
This past school year, West Lee’s overall performance grade jumped 17 points, a leap LCS Superintendent Dr. Chris Dossenbach described as “remarkable.” He cited the role of a school’s principal when student performance increases.
“It starts with leadership,” he said. “Principal Aimee Petrarca is a data-driven leader who believes that students can do hard things and that challenges are opportunities for growth. She rallied her team around a clear vision — using data to guide every instructional decision and ensuring that all teachers stayed focused on teaching the standards.”
He said that under Petrarca’s direction, West Lee emphasized high expectations and consistent accountability in cases when expectations aren’t met.
“You have believed in your students, you believe in one another, and you stuck through it, and believed in West Lee,” Dossenbach told faculty on Wednesday. “Your dedication has transformed challenges into progress, and potential into success. This achievement is a reflection of your hard work, and it belongs to you.”
He also singled out Petrarca at the event: “Your leadership,” Dossenbach said, “has brought focus, stability and a renewed momentum to the school. You've empowered your staff, strengthened instructional practices and built a culture that's rooted in belief — belief that every student can achieve and that West Lee can rise to meet any challenge.”
Dossenbach also thanked the Education Foundation for its continued support of Lee County Schools and for recognizing the importance of academic progress.
“Most importantly, our students are the true winners — reflecting the mission we share with the Foundation every day,” he said.
‘NEEDED A WIN’
Petrarca said West Lee’s school community “needed a win” after a period of academic underachievement.
“Education is challenging everywhere, but it is especially heavy when a staff feels defeated or powerless,” she said. “The teachers who remained at West Lee, determined to see the school grow, and those who joined us last year needed what I knew Head of Class could bring: hope, validation, and recognition. Head of Class celebrates the results of hard work. Winning it shows our staff that their effort mattered, and it shows our students that their growth is real.”
Great things have been happening at West Lee, she said.
A cash incentive
Aimee Petrarce (center, front row) and staff celebrate the Head of Class recognition with LCEF board members.
“But rewriting a school’s story takes time,” she added. “It takes far less time, though, when a trusted organization publicly affirms what is true. Our community trusts the Education Foundation. Their careful analysis of our data confirms that positive, meaningful change is happening here. Being honored with the Head of Class award is a tremendous gift. It acknowledges the dedication, the belief, and the hard work of our students and staff.”
The recognition for students will help the culture at West Lee, helping it become a school “where students take pride in their goals and their successes … a culture where staff ensure every student has goals and where they actively teach and support strategies to achieve them,” Petrarca said.
“Academic growth is essential, but meeting goals that lead to future success requires more than academics,” she said. “It also requires focus on communication, teamwork, and problem-solving. These skills shape students into confident young people ready for the future … I want our students to build good lives, not just earn good grades. I want our staff to see that their belief, consistency, and commitment matter. This achievement proves that when we work together, we can overcome challenges and accomplish big things.”
Susan Keller, the chairperson of the Lee County Education Foundation’s board of directors, said the opportunity provided by the Ruby & Ernest McSwain Worthy Lands Trust to recognize the middle school that excelled in growth and proficiency is something the Foundation was grateful for.
“The students of West Lee Middle School, under the leadership of Aimee Petrarca and with the guidance and support of all the dedicated teachers and staff, made impressive improvements in the 2024-25 school year,” she said. “We are so excited to be able to recognize the amazing educators who proved to themselves and all the West Lee students that even when the bar is set high, if you put in the effort and are given the tools and support to do it, you can meet and even exceed your goals.”
Foundation Executive Director Wendy Wicker Phillips said a goal-driven culture is always at the center of Petrarca’s schools.
“Those priorities continue to lead to exceptional results,” she said. “You don’t accidentally win Head of Class five times or at both the elementary and middle school levels. While this recognition rightly belongs to the staff and students, it also speaks to the strength of Aimee’s leadership. And the fact that she is an alumni herself is the icing on the cake for this recognition for West Lee. We are thankful to the McSwain Worthy Lands Trust for making this recognition possible and for supporting excellence in our middle schools.”