Paul L. Dunbar Elementary School

Summary:

Paul L. Dunbar Elementary School is a public elementary school in Atlanta, Georgia, serving 287 students in grades PK-5. The school is part of the Atlanta Public Schools district, which is ranked 149 out of 203 districts in the state and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Despite consistent funding and a relatively low student-teacher ratio, Paul L. Dunbar Elementary has consistently underperformed compared to the district and state on standardized tests, with only 9.8% of 3rd graders, 11.8% of 4th graders, and 26.7% of 5th graders proficient or better in English Language Arts in the 2023-2024 school year. The school also has a 100% free/reduced-price lunch rate, indicating a high-poverty student population. Nearby schools, such as Thomas Heathe Slater Elementary, Finch Elementary, and The John Hope-Charles Walter Hill Elementary Schools, face similar academic challenges and demographic characteristics.

The success of nearby charter schools, such as KIPP Strive Primary Charter School and Atlanta Neighborhood Charter - Elementary, which significantly outperform the traditional public schools in the district, highlights the potential impact of school choice and alternative educational models in high-poverty areas. Despite increased funding and resources, Paul L. Dunbar Elementary has not shown meaningful improvement in its academic performance over the past decade, suggesting that a more comprehensive approach to school improvement may be necessary.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

500 Whitehall Ter SW
Atlanta, GA 30312

(404) 802-7950

District: Atlanta Public Schools

SchoolDigger Rank:
1125^th of 1,248 Georgia Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $17,422

Students who attend Paul L. Dunbar Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Martin L. King Junior Middle School
High:	Maynard Jackson High School

Student/teacher ratio: 8.8

Number of students: 250

Racial breakdown:

African American:

95.6%

Two or more races:

2.0%

Hispanic:

1.6%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 100%

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Compare Paul L. Dunbar Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Paul L. Dunbar Elementary School ranks worse than 90.1% of elementary schools in Georgia. It also ranks 38^th among 53 ranked elementary schools in the Atlanta Public Schools District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 13.72. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: African American (95.6%), two or more races (2%), Hispanic (1.6%). (See more...)

Compare Details 100% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Paul L. Dunbar Elementary School is 8.8, which is the 5^th best among 53 elementary schools in the Atlanta Public Schools District. (See more...)

Compare Paul L. Dunbar Elementary School employs 28.1 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Paul L. Dunbar Elementary School is $17,422, which is the 23^rd highest among 53 elementary schools in the Atlanta Public Schools District.

Schooldigger Rankings:

Paul L. Dunbar Elementary School was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

Atlanta Public Schools:

SchoolDigger ranks Atlanta Public Schools 149^th of 203 Georgia school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Paul L. Dunbar Elementary School

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	GA State Percentile
2006	14.98	999^th	1101	9.3%
2007	27.01	904^th	1125	19.6%
2008	37.83	785^th	1134	30.8%
2009	26.26	939^th	1133	17.1%
2010	10.21	1101^st	1183	6.9%
2011	2.27	1202^nd	1212	0.8%
2012	1.36	1193^rd	1201	0.7%
2013	2.18	1207^th	1225	1.5%
2014	2.64	1207^th	1231	1.9%
2015	10.60	1160^th	1240	6.5%
2016	11.64	1136^th	1233	7.9%
2017	14.39	1055^th	1205	12.4%
2018	12.60	1080^th	1209	10.7%
2019	12.64	1108^th	1234	10.2%
2022	9.26	1190^th	1244	4.3%
2023	9.21	1200^th	1242	3.4%
2024	13.72	1125^th	1248	9.9%

See the entire list of Georgia Elementary School Rankings!

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

Data source: Georgia Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Paul L. Dunbar Elementary School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1989	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	551	551
1991	0	0	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	477	477
1992	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	502	502
1993	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	438	438
1994	0	459	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	459
1995	2	522	2	4	0	n/a	n/a	0	530
1996	2	522	2	4	0	n/a	n/a	0	530
1997	0	498	0	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	500
1998	0	505	0	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	506
1999	2	498	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	500
2000	3	512	0	3	2	n/a	n/a	0	520
2001	8	504	3	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	516
2002	2	387	0	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	390
2003	2	387	0	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	390
2004	0	361	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	361
2005	0	336	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	1	337
2006	0	251	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	251
2007	0	236	0	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	238
2008	0	209	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	2	211
2009	0	226	0	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	228
2010	0	241	0	0	0	0	0	0	241
2011	0	328	0	2	0	0	3	0	333
2012	0	378	0	3	0	0	4	0	385
2013	0	368	0	7	0	1	4	0	380
2014	0	401	0	14	0	1	3	0	419
2015	0	389	0	15	0	0	2	0	406
2016	0	377	0	13	0	0	1	0	391
2017	0	384	0	7	1	0	0	0	392
2018	1	367	0	10	1	0	2	0	381
2019	2	362	0	11	1	0	4	0	380
2020	1	333	0	10	1	0	2	0	347
2021	0	272	0	6	2	0	3	0	283
2022	0	289	0	9	5	0	3	0	306
2023	2	274	0	1	4	1	5	0	287
2024	0	239	0	4	2	0	5	0	250

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 Paul L. Dunbar Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1989	551	28.0	19.6	n/a
1991	477	26.0	18.3	89.7
1992	502	29.0	17.3	94.8
1993	438	27.0	16.2	95
1994	459	29.7	15.5	93.7
1995	530	34.0	15.6	94.9
1996	530	34.0	15.6	94.9
1997	500	31.4	15.9	95
1998	506	31.9	15.9	89.5
1999	500	37.0	13.5	95
2000	520	33.5	15.5	93.3
2001	516	36.9	14.0	92.1
2002	390	33.5	11.6	99.2
2003	390	33.5	11.6	99.2
2004	361	25.0	14.4	89.2
2005	337	23.9	14.1	91.7
2006	251	19.8	12.7	84.5
2007	238	17.8	13.4	83.6
2008	211	17.0	12.4	99.5
2009	228	18.0	12.7	98.7
2010	241	16.0	15.0	98.8
2011	333	22.0	15.1	98.5
2012	385	25.0	15.4	94.5
2013	380	28.0	13.5	97.9
2014	419	29.0	14.4	99.3
2015	406	32.0	12.6	100
2016	391	31.0	12.6	99.2
2017	392	30.1	13.0	100
2018	381	29.2	13.0	100
2019	380	26.9	14.1	100
2020	347	25.9	13.3	78.7
2021	283	24.5	11.5	100
2022	306	25.0	12.2	n/a
2023	287	25.8	11.1	100
2024	250	28.1	8.8	100

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 Paul L. Dunbar Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1989	551	28.0	19.6	n/a
1991	477	26.0	18.3	89.7
1992	502	29.0	17.3	94.8
1993	438	27.0	16.2	95
1994	459	29.7	15.5	93.7
1995	530	34.0	15.6	94.9
1996	530	34.0	15.6	94.9
1997	500	31.4	15.9	95
1998	506	31.9	15.9	89.5
1999	500	37.0	13.5	95
2000	520	33.5	15.5	93.3
2001	516	36.9	14.0	92.1
2002	390	33.5	11.6	99.2
2003	390	33.5	11.6	99.2
2004	361	25.0	14.4	89.2
2005	337	23.9	14.1	91.7
2006	251	19.8	12.7	84.5
2007	238	17.8	13.4	83.6
2008	211	17.0	12.4	99.5
2009	228	18.0	12.7	98.7
2010	241	16.0	15.0	98.8
2011	333	22.0	15.1	98.5
2012	385	25.0	15.4	94.5
2013	380	28.0	13.5	97.9
2014	419	29.0	14.4	99.3
2015	406	32.0	12.6	100
2016	391	31.0	12.6	99.2
2017	392	30.1	13.0	100
2018	381	29.2	13.0	100
2019	380	26.9	14.1	100
2020	347	25.9	13.3	78.7
2021	283	24.5	11.5	100
2022	306	25.0	12.2	n/a
2023	287	25.8	11.1	100
2024	250	28.1	8.8	100

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 Paul L. Dunbar Elementary School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2017	$1,661 (10.8%)	$13,756 (89.2%)	$15,418
2018	$1,416 (8.8%)	$14,694 (91.2%)	$16,111
2019	$1,439 (8.3%)	$15,982 (91.7%)	$17,422

Data source: Georgia Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Paul L. Dunbar Elementary 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 1108^th of 1234 Elementary schools	Ranks 1200^th of 1242 Elementary schools	6.8%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Paul L. Dunbar Elementary School)	12.3	6.3	6%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Atlanta Public Schools)	36.9	34.5	2.4%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Georgia)	42	38.6	3.4%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Paul L. Dunbar Elementary School)	14	9.4	4.6%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Atlanta Public Schools)	45.1	36.7	8.4%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Georgia)	52	45.6	6.4%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Paul L. Dunbar Elementary School)	18.7	10.8	7.9%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Atlanta Public Schools)	35.7	33.7	2%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Georgia)	42	36.1	5.9%
4th Grade Mathematics (Paul L. Dunbar Elementary School)	30.7	16.9	13.8%
4th Grade Mathematics (Atlanta Public Schools)	42.3	35.9	6.4%
4th Grade Mathematics (Georgia)	49	45.7	3.3%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Paul L. Dunbar Elementary School)	19.7	17.4	2.3%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Atlanta Public Schools)	38.7	35.9	2.8%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Georgia)	45	41.6	3.4%
5th Grade Mathematics (Paul L. Dunbar Elementary School)	3	4.3	1.3%
5th Grade Mathematics (Atlanta Public Schools)	33.7	29.5	4.2%
5th Grade Mathematics (Georgia)	41	37.4	3.6%
5th Grade Science (Paul L. Dunbar Elementary School)	18.2	8.7	9.5%
5th Grade Science (Atlanta Public Schools)	37.7	29.7	8%
5th Grade Science (Georgia)	43	40	3%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	380	287	24.5%
African American	362	274	24.3%
American Indian	1	4	300%
Asian	0	0
Hispanic	11	1	90.9%
Pacific Islander	0	1
White	2	2
Two or More Races	4	5	25%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	100%	100%

Schools Near Paul L. Dunbar Elementary School

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				Milestones Assessment Algebra I (2024)	Milestones Assessment English Language Arts (2024)						Milestones Assessment Mathematics (2024)						Milestones Assessment Science (2024)		Milestones Assessment Social Studies (2024)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2019)
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	Milestones Assessment Algebra I End of Course	Milestones Assessment English Language Arts 3rd Grade	Milestones Assessment English Language Arts 4th Grade	Milestones Assessment English Language Arts 5th Grade	Milestones Assessment English Language Arts 6th Grade	Milestones Assessment English Language Arts 7th Grade	Milestones Assessment English Language Arts 8th Grade	Milestones Assessment Mathematics 3rd Grade	Milestones Assessment Mathematics 4th Grade	Milestones Assessment Mathematics 5th Grade	Milestones Assessment Mathematics 6th Grade	Milestones Assessment Mathematics 7th Grade	Milestones Assessment Mathematics 8th Grade	Milestones Assessment Science 5th Grade	Milestones Assessment Science 8th Grade	Milestones Assessment Social Studies 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Paul L. Dunbar Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	500 Whitehall Ter SW	Atlanta	30312	Fulton County	Atlanta Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(404) 802-7950	250	28	8.8	100.0%	0 (0.0%)	239 (95.6%)	4 (1.6%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (2.0%)	13.7	1125^th of 1248 public elementary schools	9.9%		9.2	1200^th of 1242 public elementary schools	3.4%	75		9.8	11.8	26.7				17.1	23.5	18.6				18.3			$17,422	$1,439	$15,983
Charles L. Gideons Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	897 Welch St SW	Atlanta	30310	Fulton County	Atlanta Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(404) 802-7700	295	32	9.1	100.0%	13 (4.4%)	262 (88.8%)	9 (3.1%)	1 (0.3%)	3 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (2.4%)	12.6	1147^th of 1248 public elementary schools	8.1%		10.4	1176^th of 1242 public elementary schools	5.3%	29		7.1	10.5	26.1				19.0	26.3	13.0				17.4			$21,020	$1,056	$19,963
Wesley International Academy Charter	Public, Charter	K-8	211 Memorial Dr SE	Atlanta	30312	Fulton County	Atlanta Public Schools	Yes	No	No	Yes	(678) 904-9137	766	60	12.7	71.7%	41 (5.4%)	649 (84.7%)	26 (3.4%)	5 (0.7%)	3 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	42 (5.5%)	35.6	764^th of 1248 public elementary schools	38.8%		29.9	838^th of 1242 public elementary schools	32.5%	74	72.2	31.9	37.0	40.2	40.7	34.7	37.5	27.5	27.2	25.0	31.4	25.3	30.6	17.4	15.3	25.0	$13,904	$69	$13,835
M. A. Jones Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1040 Fair St SW	Atlanta	30314	Fulton County	Atlanta Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(404) 802-3900	481	36	13.3	100.0%	3 (0.6%)	459 (95.4%)	7 (1.5%)	3 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	8 (1.7%)	9.7	1197^th of 1248 public elementary schools	4.1%		23.1	954^th of 1242 public elementary schools	23.2%	243		15.3	12.3	23.3				8.2	11.1	15.1				12.3			$17,096	$1,157	$15,939
Barack and Michelle Obama Academy	Public	PK, KG-5	970 Martin St SE	Atlanta	30315	Fulton County	Atlanta Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(404) 802-4200	269	22	12.1	100.0%	10 (3.7%)	248 (92.2%)	3 (1.1%)	4 (1.5%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.1%)	24.5	936^th of 1248 public elementary schools	25.0%		12.7	1127^th of 1242 public elementary schools	9.3%	191		28.2	24.4	32.5				25.6	28.9	22.5				22.5			$22,580	$1,407	$21,173
Atlanta Neighborhood Charter - Elementary	Public, Charter	K-5	688 Grant St SE	Atlanta	30315	Fulton County	Atlanta Public Schools	Yes	No	No	No	(404) 624-6226	394	34	11.7	14.0%	258 (65.5%)	74 (18.8%)	18 (4.6%)	3 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	40 (10.2%)	89.8	138^th of 1248 public elementary schools	88.9%		83.5	193^rd of 1242 public elementary schools	84.5%	55		77.3	59.4	77.8				66.7	60.9	61.9				66.7			$17,410	$403	$17,410
Michael R. Hollis Innovation Academy	Public	PK, KG-8	225 James P. Brawley Drive NW	Atlanta	30314	Fulton County	Atlanta Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(404) 802-8200	633	63	10.0	100.0%	2 (0.3%)	584 (92.3%)	24 (3.8%)	1 (0.2%)	6 (0.9%)	4 (0.6%)	12 (1.9%)	5.7	1242^nd of 1248 public elementary schools	0.5%		5.6	1235^th of 1242 public elementary schools	0.6%	7		5.7	7.1	17.5	11.3	14.3	35.5	7.1	11.1	4.8	1.4	8.1	27.4	4.8	16.4	24.2	$17,959	$1,259	$16,700
Thomas Heathe Slater Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1320 Pryor Rd SW	Atlanta	30315	Fulton County	Atlanta Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(404) 802-4050	534	40	13.3	100.0%	1 (0.2%)	515 (96.4%)	11 (2.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (1.3%)	6.8	1232^nd of 1248 public elementary schools	1.3%		7.9	1214^th of 1242 public elementary schools	2.3%	18		8.2	10.8	8.2				11.9	21.9	4.1				2.7			$17,778	$838	$16,940
Finch Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1114 Avon Ave SW	Atlanta	30310	Fulton County	Atlanta Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(404) 802-4000	319	38	8.3	100.0%	1 (0.3%)	304 (95.3%)	7 (2.2%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (1.9%)	17.2	1058^th of 1248 public elementary schools	15.2%		16	1079^th of 1242 public elementary schools	13.1%	21		24.0	13.0	26.2				30.0	8.7	16.4				23.0			$20,280	$1,633	$18,646
KIPP Strive Primary Charter School	Public, Charter	K-4	1448 Lucile Ave SW	Atlanta	30310	Fulton County	Atlanta Public Schools	Yes	No	No	Yes	(404) 924-6310	521	30	17.2	81.4%	12 (2.3%)	498 (95.6%)	5 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.0%)	38.7	716^th of 1248 public elementary schools	42.6%		33.3	791^st of 1242 public elementary schools	36.3%	75		36.5	28.7					39.4	28.7								$12,457	$1,316	$11,141

Frequently Asked Questions about Paul L. Dunbar Elementary School

What district is Paul L. Dunbar Elementary School in?

Atlanta Public Schools

What schools do graduates of Paul L. Dunbar Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Paul L. Dunbar Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Martin L. King Junior Middle School
High : Maynard Jackson High School

How many students attend Paul L. Dunbar Elementary School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 250 students attended Paul L. Dunbar Elementary School.

What is the racial makeup of Paul L. Dunbar Elementary School?

Students at Paul L. Dunbar Elementary School are 96% African American, 2% Two or more races, 2% Hispanic.

Is Paul L. Dunbar Elementary School a good school?

Paul L. Dunbar Elementary School ranks in the bottom 9.9% of Georgia elementary schools.

Rate Paul L. Dunbar Elementary School!

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