Dunbar High School

Summary:

Dunbar High School is a public high school in Fort Myers, Florida, serving grades 9-12 within the Lee District, which is ranked 50 out of 68 districts in the state and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger. The school has a diverse student population, with a racial makeup of 10.04% White, 29.97% African American, 56.55% Hispanic, 1.17% Asian, and 2.28% two or more races.

Dunbar High School has consistently ranked in the bottom third of Florida high schools, with a ranking between 507 and 635 out of 648 to 807 schools over the past decade, and it has maintained a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger, indicating it is among the lowest-performing schools in the state. The school's four-year graduation rate has fluctuated significantly, ranging from a high of 96.6% in 2019-2020 to a low of 82.6% in 2022-2023, and it has experienced a concerning increase in chronic absenteeism, rising from 21.7% in 2019-2020 to 44.4% in 2022-2023. Dunbar High School's test scores are consistently lower than the Lee County and Florida state averages across various subjects and grade levels.

Interestingly, Dunbar High School's performance is significantly lower than the nearby schools, including Southwest Florida Juvenile Detention Center, City of Palms Charter High School, Pace School for Girls, Young Parent Education Program, and Success Academy, which have lower enrollment, higher chronic absenteeism rates, and even lower test scores and graduation rates. The high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch at Dunbar High School suggests that the school serves a predominantly low-income population, which may contribute to the challenges it faces.

Detail:

Public, Magnet 9-12

3800 E Edison Ave
Fort Myers, FL 33916

(239) 461-5322

District: Lee

SchoolDigger Rank:
608^th of 807 Florida High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $9,908

Feeder schools for Dunbar High School:

Elementary:	Allen Park Elementary School
	Bayshore Elementary School
	Bonita Springs Elementary School
	Colonial Elementary School
	More...
	Edgewood Academy
	Edison Park Creative And Expressive Arts School
	Fort Myers Beach Elementary School
	Franklin Park Elementary School
	G. Weaver Hipps Elementary School
	Gateway Elementary School
	Harns Marsh Elementary School
	Heights Elementary School
	James Stephens Elementary School
	Lehigh Elementary School
	Manatee Elementary School
	Mirror Lakes Elementary School
	Orange River Elementary School
	Orangewood Elementary School
	Pinewoods Elementary School
	Ray V. Pottorf Elementary School
	Rayma C. Page Elementary School
	River Hall Elementary School
	San Carlos Park Elementary School
	Spring Creek Elementary School
	Sunshine Elementary School
	Tanglewood Elementary School
	The Alva School
	The Sanibel School
	Three Oaks Elementary School
	Tice Elementary School
	Tortuga Preserve Elementary School
	Treeline Elementary School
	Veterans Park Academy For The Arts
	Villas Elementary School
Middle:	Bonita Springs Middle Center For The Arts
	Cypress Lake Middle School
	Fort Myers Middle Academy
	Harns Marsh Middle School
	More...
	Lehigh Acres Middle School
	Lexington Middle School
	Oak Hammock Middle School
	Paul Laurence Dunbar Middle School
	Three Oaks Middle School
	Varsity Lakes Middle School

Student/teacher ratio: 21.8

Number of students: 1,762

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

56.9%

African American:

30.5%

White:

8.9%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 56.9%

See top rated Florida high schools

Compare Dunbar High School to nearby high schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Dunbar High School ranks worse than 75.3% of high schools in Florida. It also ranks 14^th among 26 ranked high schools in the Lee School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 23.32. (See more...)

The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at Dunbar High School who earn a standard high school diploma within four years of starting ninth grade.

Chronic absenteeism in a school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: Hispanic (56.9%), African American (30.5%), White (8.9%). (See more...)

Compare Details 56.9% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Dunbar High School is 21.8, which is the 10^th best among 26 high schools in the Lee School District. (See more...)

Compare Dunbar High School employs 80.7 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Dunbar High School is $9,908, which is the 4^th highest among 26 high schools in the Lee School District.

Schooldigger Rankings:

Dunbar High School was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

SchoolDigger ranks Dunbar High School 608^th of 807 Florida public high schools. (See Dunbar High School in the ranking list.)

Lee:

SchoolDigger ranks Lee 50^th of 68 Florida school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Rating:

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Rank History for Dunbar High School

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	FL State Percentile
2004	32.61	354^th	484	26.9%
2005	21.89	395^th	487	18.9%
2006	30.79	357^th	477	25.2%
2007	34.59	385^th	563	31.6%
2008	37.87	378^th	577	34.5%
2009	25.41	448^th	587	23.7%
2010	30.30	456^th	620	26.5%
2011	38.12	431^st	622	30.7%
2012	26.58	437^th	606	27.9%
2013	39.28	382^nd	648	41.0%
2014	26.19	507^th	687	26.2%
2016	15.65	561^st	693	19.0%
2017	19.36	540^th	714	24.4%
2018	19.40	547^th	716	23.6%
2019	16.75	579^th	734	21.1%
2021	20.69	551^st	746	26.1%
2022	20.03	592^nd	774	23.5%
2023	15.98	635^th	792	19.8%
2024	23.32	608^th	807	24.7%

See the entire list of Florida High School Rankings!

Data source: test scores: Florida Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

Data source: Florida Department of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 5)

100%

Reviews:

by a student
Saturday, September 21, 2013

Dunbar High School is one of the best schools I have been to it has a great tech program and great teacher's! Close Quote

Enrollment information for Dunbar High School

Compare

Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
2001	142	97	4	22	1	n/a	n/a	0	266
2002	446	397	6	63	0	n/a	n/a	0	912
2003	446	397	6	63	0	n/a	n/a	0	912
2004	554	564	7	121	3	n/a	n/a	0	1249
2005	362	569	8	130	3	n/a	n/a	0	1072
2006	256	542	15	155	3	n/a	n/a	0	971
2007	174	483	8	163	2	n/a	n/a	20	850
2008	173	463	12	174	5	n/a	n/a	21	848
2009	172	578	13	189	4	n/a	n/a	21	977
2010	120	480	4	156	1	n/a	n/a	21	782
2011	154	490	6	215	2	0	13	0	880
2012	183	489	5	267	2	1	13	0	960
2013	160	499	7	285	3	0	16	0	970
2014	208	552	12	362	3	0	20	0	1157
2015	232	579	25	485	1	0	18	0	1340
2016	284	682	26	735	3	0	29	0	1759
2017	289	683	23	813	3	0	32	0	1843
2018	279	678	19	909	0	0	32	0	1917
2019	250	667	17	1011	0	0	34	0	1979
2020	227	600	16	1010	0	0	34	0	1887
2021	198	566	21	942	0	0	42	0	1769
2022	187	577	21	942	1	0	39	0	1767
2023	181	540	21	1019	0	0	41	0	1802
2024	157	538	24	1002	3	0	38	0	1762

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Dunbar High School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2001	266	0.0	0.0	44.4
2002	912	41.0	22.2	45
2003	912	41.0	22.2	45
2004	1249	58.0	21.5	49.3
2005	1072	53.0	20.2	53.4
2006	971	52.0	18.7	54
2007	850	48.0	17.7	58.9
2008	848	52.0	16.3	63.2
2009	977	53.7	18.4	74
2010	782	52.5	14.9	83.7
2011	880	43.7	20.0	78.6
2012	960	46.9	20.4	79.6
2013	970	62.0	15.6	82.1
2014	1157	65.0	17.8	80.6
2015	1340	74.0	18.1	83.4
2016	1759	78.0	22.5	61.8
2017	1843	86.0	21.4	52.9
2018	1917	103.0	18.6	59.7
2019	1979	97.8	20.2	51.7
2020	1887	100.3	18.8	53.2
2021	1769	91.5	19.3	55.7
2022	1767	90.0	19.6	54
2023	1802	86.7	20.7	52.9
2024	1762	80.7	21.8	56.9

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Dunbar High School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2001	266	0.0	0.0	44.4
2002	912	41.0	22.2	45
2003	912	41.0	22.2	45
2004	1249	58.0	21.5	49.3
2005	1072	53.0	20.2	53.4
2006	971	52.0	18.7	54
2007	850	48.0	17.7	58.9
2008	848	52.0	16.3	63.2
2009	977	53.7	18.4	74
2010	782	52.5	14.9	83.7
2011	880	43.7	20.0	78.6
2012	960	46.9	20.4	79.6
2013	970	62.0	15.6	82.1
2014	1157	65.0	17.8	80.6
2015	1340	74.0	18.1	83.4
2016	1759	78.0	22.5	61.8
2017	1843	86.0	21.4	52.9
2018	1917	103.0	18.6	59.7
2019	1979	97.8	20.2	51.7
2020	1887	100.3	18.8	53.2
2021	1769	91.5	19.3	55.7
2022	1767	90.0	19.6	54
2023	1802	86.7	20.7	52.9
2024	1762	80.7	21.8	56.9

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Dunbar High School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2018	$934 (12.7%)	$6,435 (87.3%)	$7,369
2019	$921 (12.3%)	$6,541 (87.7%)	$7,462
2020	$981 (12.1%)	$7,144 (87.9%)	$8,126
2021	$922 (11.1%)	$7,350 (88.9%)	$8,272
2022	$1,870 (20.3%)	$7,350 (79.7%)	$9,219
2023	$2,067 (20.9%)	$7,840 (79.1%)	$9,908

Data source: Florida Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Dunbar High School

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Rank Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Ranks 579^th of 734 High schools	Ranks 635^th of 792 High schools	1.3%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
9th Grade English Language Arts (Dunbar High School)	33	34	1%
9th Grade English Language Arts (Lee)	51	50	1%
9th Grade English Language Arts (Florida)	55	51	4%
10th Grade English Language Arts (Dunbar High School)	22	25	3%
10th Grade English Language Arts (Lee)	48	44	4%
10th Grade English Language Arts (Florida)	53	49	4%
End of Course Biology 1 (Dunbar High School)	40	28	12%
End of Course Biology 1 (Lee)	56	51	5%
End of Course Biology 1 (Florida)	67	63	4%
End of Course US History (Dunbar High School)	48	35	13%
End of Course US History (Lee)	64	54	10%
End of Course US History (Florida)	70	63	7%
End of Course Algebra 1 (Dunbar High School)	22	32	10%
End of Course Algebra 1 (Lee)	60	48	12%
End of Course Algebra 1 (Florida)	62	54	8%
End of Course Geometry (Dunbar High School)	38	24	14%
End of Course Geometry (Lee)	50	41	9%
End of Course Geometry (Florida)	57	50	7%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	1979	1802	8.9%
African American	667	540	19%
American Indian	0	0
Asian	17	21	23.5%
Hispanic	1011	1019	0.8%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	250	181	27.6%
Two or More Races	34	41	20.6%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	51.7%	52.9%	1.2%

Schools Near Dunbar High School

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				FAST English Language Arts (2024)					FAST Math (2024)			Statewide Science Science (2024)	EOC Algebra 1 (2024)	EOC Geometry (2024)	EOC Biology 1 (2024)	EOC US History (2024)	EOC Civics (2024)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2023)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	FAST English Language Arts 6th Grade	FAST English Language Arts 7th Grade	FAST English Language Arts 8th Grade	FAST English Language Arts 9th Grade	FAST English Language Arts 10th Grade	FAST Math 6th Grade	FAST Math 7th Grade	FAST Math 8th Grade	Statewide Science Science 8th Grade	EOC Algebra 1 End of Course	EOC Geometry End of Course	EOC Biology 1 End of Course	EOC US History End of Course	EOC Civics End of Course	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Dunbar High School	Public, Magnet	9-12	3800 E Edison Ave	Fort Myers	33916	Lee County	Lee	No	Yes	No	Yes	(239) 461-5322	1,762	81	21.8	56.9%	157 (8.9%)	538 (30.5%)	1,002 (56.9%)	24 (1.4%)	3 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	38 (2.2%)	23.3	608^th of 807 public high schools	24.7%		16	635^th of 792 public high schools	19.8%	27				39.0	34.0					27.0	34.0	42.0	50.0		$9,908	$2,067	$7,840
Young Parent Education Program	Public	6-12	3650 Michigan Ave	Fort Myers	33916	Lee County	Lee	No	No	No	Yes	(239) 332-2526	58	8	7.4	41.4%	7 (12.1%)	8 (13.8%)	43 (74.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2	791^st of 807 public high schools	2.0%		21	594^th of 792 public high schools	25.0%	197					7.0								0.0		$41,603	$6,402	$35,199
Fort Myers Technical College	Public	9-12	3800 Michigan Ave	Fort Myers	33916	Lee County	Lee	No	No	No	No	(239) 334-4544	0	1	.0		0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Success Academy	Public	6-12	3650 Michigan Ave	Fort Myers	33916	Lee County	Lee	No	No	No	Yes	(239) 334-3416	98	14	7.0	76.5%	20 (20.4%)	29 (29.6%)	46 (46.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (3.1%)	2.9	764^th of 807 public high schools	5.3%		2.4	776^th of 792 public high schools	2.0%	12	9.0	12.0	5.0	12.0	16.0	0.0	6.0	10.0	8.0	0.0	4.0	9.0	0.0	16.0
SW Fl Addiction Services-The Vince Smith Center	Public	6-12	2450 Prince St	Fort Myers	33916	Lee County	Lee	No	No	No	No	(239) 338-2306	6	1	6.0		4 (66.7%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (16.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (16.7%)								(n/a)
Southwest Florida Juvenile Detention Center	Public	5-12	2525 Ortiz Ave	Fort Myers	33905	Lee County	Lee	No	No	No	No	(239) 332-6927	52	4	14.8	34.6%	20 (38.5%)	17 (32.7%)	13 (25.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (3.8%)								(n/a)
Fort Myers Academy	Public	6-12	2515 Ortiz Avenue	Fort Myers	33905	Lee County	Lee	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(239) 334-1102	18	1	18.0		5 (27.8%)	10 (55.6%)	1 (5.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (11.1%)								(n/a)
Lee County Jail	Public	7-12	2266 2nd St	Fort Myers	33901	Lee County	Lee	No	No	No	No	(239) 337-8113	3	0			1 (33.3%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (66.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)
City Of Palms Charter High School	Public, Charter	9-12	2830 Winkler Ave Ste 201	Fort Myers	33916	Lee County	Lee	Yes	No	No	No	(239) 561-6611	136	4	34.0	48.5%	15 (11.0%)	43 (31.6%)	76 (55.9%)	1 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.7%)	7.2	694^th of 807 public high schools	14.0%					(n/a)				0.0	10.0						27.0		31.0		$10,541	$323	$10,219
Pace School For Girls	Public	6-12	3800 Evans Ave	Fort Myers	33901	Lee County	Lee	No	No	No	No	(239) 425-2366	60	6	10.0	35.0%	21 (35.0%)	10 (16.7%)	26 (43.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (5.0%)								(n/a)

Frequently Asked Questions about Dunbar High School

What schools feed into Dunbar High School?

How many students attend Dunbar High School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 1,762 students attended Dunbar High School.

What is the racial makeup of Dunbar High School?

Students at Dunbar High School are 57% Hispanic, 31% African American, 9% White, 2% Two or more races, 1% Asian.

Is Dunbar High School a good school?

Dunbar High School ranks in the bottom 24.7% of Florida high schools.

What district is Dunbar High School in?

Lee

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Florida Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.