Ledyard Charter School vs Lebanon High School

Lebanon High School and Ledyard Charter School sit 0.7 miles apart in Lebanon, New Hampshire, yet occupy opposite ends of the state ranking list. Lebanon High School ranks #2 of 480 New Hampshire high schools with an overall rating of 9.7/10, while Ledyard Charter School ranks #138 of 480 with a 7.2/10 — a 2.5-point gap that reflects meaningful differences in resources, demographics, and academic outcomes. For most families, that gap and its causes are the central question.

On academics, Lebanon High School holds the edge: its academic score is 9.7/10 versus Ledyard Charter School's 8.5/10, a 1.2-point difference that tracks directly with the two schools' distinct populations and course offerings. The one metric where Ledyard Charter School outpaces its neighbor is growth: a perfect 10.0/10 growth score against Lebanon High School's 9.4/10, meaning students at Ledyard are gaining ground faster relative to their starting points — a meaningful signal given where those students begin.

The demographic contrast between the two schools is sharp. Ledyard Charter School enrolls 44 students with 89% qualifying for free or reduced lunch, making it a small, high-need environment. Lebanon High School serves 609 students with just 11% on free or reduced lunch. The student-teacher ratio and overall resource base differ accordingly. For families comparing these schools, the free/reduced lunch figures capture the core equity difference: Ledyard is serving a substantially more economically disadvantaged population, and its growth score suggests it is doing so effectively.

Both schools serve grades 9 through 12 at the secondary level, though Ledyard Charter School's grade span runs 09–UG, reflecting its charter structure and the possibility of non-traditional grade progressions. Lebanon High School operates as a conventional public high school with a full 609-student cohort, supporting a wider range of extracurriculars, electives, and athletics that small enrollment makes difficult to sustain. The charter model at Ledyard gives it flexibility in curriculum design, which likely contributes to its outsized growth performance even as its academic proficiency scores trail Lebanon High School's.