Is Dunbar Elementary School a good school?

Dunbar Elementary School ranks in the bottom 15.9% of Illinois elementary schools.

How many students attend Dunbar Elementary School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 338 students attended Dunbar Elementary School.

What is the racial makeup of Dunbar Elementary School?

Students at Dunbar Elementary School are 100% African American.

What schools do graduates of Dunbar Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Dunbar Elementary School usually go on to attend: Middle : East St Louis-Lincoln Middle School High : East St Louis Senior High School

Dunbar Elementary School

Summary:

Dunbar Elementary School is a public elementary school located in East Saint Louis, Illinois, serving grades K-4 with a total enrollment of 338 students. The school is part of the East St Louis School District 189, which is ranked 734 out of 813 districts in Illinois and is rated 0 stars out of 5 by SchoolDigger.

Dunbar Elementary School faces several key challenges, including consistently high chronic absenteeism rates, significantly below-average academic performance, and a student population with a very high percentage of low socioeconomic status. In the 2023-2024 school year, only 13.9% of students were proficient or better in English Language Arts, and 8.8% were proficient or better in Mathematics, compared to the state averages of 41.2% and 28.4%, respectively. When compared to nearby schools within the same district, such as James Avant Elementary School and Wyvetter Younge School of Excellence, Dunbar's academic performance is significantly lower.

Despite the relatively high spending per student and low student-teacher ratio at Dunbar Elementary School, the school's academic outcomes are lagging behind both the state and nearby schools. However, the school's performance for specific student subgroups, such as African American students and low socioeconomic status students, is relatively better compared to the overall school performance. To address these challenges, the school and district may need to focus on improving attendance, implementing targeted academic interventions, and addressing the unique needs of the student population.

Detail:

Public K-4

1835 Tudor Ave
East Saint Louis, IL 62207-2150

(618) 646-3840

District: East St Louis School District 189

SchoolDigger Rank:
1738^th of 2,067 Illinois Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $24,880

Students who attend Dunbar Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	East St Louis-Lincoln Middle School
High:	East St Louis Senior High School

Student/teacher ratio: 13.0

Number of students: 338

Racial breakdown:

African American:

99.7%

Pacific Islander:

0.3%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 99.4%

See top rated Illinois elementary schools

Compare Dunbar Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Dunbar Elementary School ranks worse than 84.1% of elementary schools in Illinois. It also ranks 4^th among 5 ranked elementary schools in the East St Louis School District 189. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 17.91. (See more...)

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 Dunbar Elementary School has the largest elementary school student body size in the East St Louis School District 189. (See more...)

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Teachers

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Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Dunbar Elementary School is $24,880. 3 elementary schools in the East St Louis School District 189 spend more per student.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Dunbar Elementary School:

SchoolDigger ranks Dunbar Elementary School 1738^th of 2067 Illinois public elementary schools. (See Dunbar Elementary School in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

African American students:

East St Louis School District 189:

SchoolDigger ranks East St Louis School District 189 734^th of 813 Illinois school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

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Rank History for Dunbar Elementary School

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Rank History for all students at Dunbar Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile
2003	18.73	1682^nd	2020	16.7%
2004	7.76	1859^th	2030	8.4%
2005	50.02	1233^rd	2022	39.0%
2006	72.82	596^th	2086	71.4%
2007	46.74	1388^th	2095	33.7%
2008	51.65	1236^th	2092	40.9%
2009	49.08	1300^th	2120	38.7%
2010	66.66	861^st	2139	59.7%
2011	70.14	729^th	2147	66.0%
2012	37.97	1550^th	2166	28.4%
2013	3.68	2146^th	2167	1.0%
2014	1.96	2087^th	2093	0.3%
2015	7.04	2048^th	2052	0.2%
2016	9.29	1987^th	2046	2.9%
2017	8.55	2001^st	2044	2.1%
2018	10.01	1964^th	2037	3.6%
2019	13.10	1929^th	2086	7.5%
2021	14.84	1765^th	1948	9.4%
2022	16.84	1786^th	2082	14.2%
2023	18.37	1743^rd	2077	16.1%
2024	17.91	1738^th	2067	15.9%

See the entire list of Illinois Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Dunbar Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	13.86	1702^nd	1765	3.6%
2019	22.66	1579^th	1816	13.1%
2021	23.49	1285^th	1514	15.1%
2022	26.80	1373^rd	1763	22.1%
2023	29.49	1346^th	1808	25.6%
2024	28.57	1351^st	1793	24.7%

See the entire list of Best Illinois Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Dunbar Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	10.33	1891^st	1964	3.7%
2019	14.55	1831^st	2019	9.3%
2021	14.55	1536^th	1680	8.6%
2022	13.85	1813^th	1970	8.0%
2023	18.15	1668^th	1957	14.8%
2024	20.39	1577^th	1942	18.8%

See the entire list of Best Illinois Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at Dunbar Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	11.13	1892^nd	1972	4.1%
2019	13.34	1880^th	2019	6.9%
2021	13.20	1633^rd	1707	4.3%
2022	21.65	1540^th	1977	22.1%
2023	19.59	1613^th	1984	18.7%
2024	16.39	1708^th	1959	12.8%

See the entire list of Best Illinois Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for African American students at Dunbar Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	25.73	585^th	698	16.2%
2019	35.87	444^th	711	37.6%
2021	36.10	257^th	428	40.0%
2022	42.70	332^nd	684	51.5%
2023	44.39	325^th	692	53.0%
2024	43.84	328^th	655	49.9%

See the entire list of Best Illinois Elementary Schools for African American Students!

Data source: test scores: Illinois State Board of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Data source: Illinois State Board of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 4.9)

87%

13%

Reviews:

by a teacher
Wednesday, December 2, 2020

At Dunbar School, students feel special and are allowed to grow academically and socially. There is a family feel in the atmosphere. Everyone in the school works toward the success of the students. Close Quote

by a teacher
Tuesday, December 1, 2020

The administrators and staff are always collaborating and working to give students and families what's needed for success. The Dunbar Family strives to instill in students the importance of the 3 Expectations: Be Safe. Be Respectful. Be Responsible. Close Quote

by a parent
Monday, November 30, 2020

This school has done a wonderful job with my children. The teachers are fantastic and really care about all students. I am completely satisfied. Diamond in the rough! Close Quote

Enrollment information for Dunbar Elementary School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
1989	2	704	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	706
1990	2	688	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	690
1991	0	650	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	650
1992	0	596	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	596
1993	0	585	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	585
1994	0	607	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	607
1995	0	531	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	531
1996	0	531	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	531
1997	0	531	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	531
1998	0	487	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	487
1999	0	441	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	441
2000	0	429	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	429
2001	0	387	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	387
2002	0	341	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	341
2003	0	341	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	341
2004	0	153	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	153
2005	0	114	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	114
2006	0	104	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	104
2007	0	443	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	443
2008	0	470	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	470
2009	0	444	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	444
2010	0	459	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	459
2011	0	424	3	0	0	0	0	427
2012	1	414	0	0	0	0	0	415
2013	0	538	0	1	0	1	0	540
2014	1	542	0	0	0	0	0	543
2015	0	505	0	0	0	0	0	505
2016	0	502	0	0	0	0	3	505
2017	0	518	0	0	0	0	4	522
2018	4	462	0	1	0	1	7	475
2019	1	452	0	1	1	1	5	461
2020	1	419	0	2	0	1	1	424
2021	1	380	0	1	0	1	1	384
2022	2	333	0	1	0	1	0	337
2023	0	337	0	0	0	1	0	338

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 Elementary School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1989	706	29.0	24.3	n/a
1990	690	29.0	23.7	n/a
1991	650	29.0	22.4	n/a
1992	596	24.0	24.8	n/a
1993	585	25.0	23.4	n/a
1994	607	29.0	20.9	n/a
1995	531	25.0	21.2	n/a
1996	531	25.0	21.2	n/a
1997	531	28.0	19.0	n/a
1998	487	27.0	18.0	n/a
1999	441	26.0	17.0	n/a
2000	429	26.0	16.5	n/a
2001	387	27.0	14.3	n/a
2002	341	16.0	21.3	85
2003	341	16.0	21.3	85
2004	153	15.0	10.2	79.7
2005	114	14.0	8.1	78.9
2006	104	11.0	9.5	88.5
2007	443	20.0	22.2	87.1
2008	470	20.0	23.5	66
2009	444	24.0	18.5	95
2010	459	22.0	20.8	98
2011	427	23.7	17.9	93.2
2012	415	23.0	18.0	99.3
2013	540	27.1	19.9	98.1
2014	543	27.5	19.7	99.4
2015	505	26.0	19.4	99.4
2016	505	26.0	19.4	98.8
2017	522	29.0	18.0	94.1
2018	475	26.0	18.2	77.9
2019	461	27.0	17.0	93.7
2020	424	28.0	15.1	99.8
2021	384	n/a	n/a	n/a
2022	337	28.0	12.0	100
2023	338	26.0	13.0	99.4

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 Elementary School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1989	706	29.0	24.3	n/a
1990	690	29.0	23.7	n/a
1991	650	29.0	22.4	n/a
1992	596	24.0	24.8	n/a
1993	585	25.0	23.4	n/a
1994	607	29.0	20.9	n/a
1995	531	25.0	21.2	n/a
1996	531	25.0	21.2	n/a
1997	531	28.0	19.0	n/a
1998	487	27.0	18.0	n/a
1999	441	26.0	17.0	n/a
2000	429	26.0	16.5	n/a
2001	387	27.0	14.3	n/a
2002	341	16.0	21.3	85
2003	341	16.0	21.3	85
2004	153	15.0	10.2	79.7
2005	114	14.0	8.1	78.9
2006	104	11.0	9.5	88.5
2007	443	20.0	22.2	87.1
2008	470	20.0	23.5	66
2009	444	24.0	18.5	95
2010	459	22.0	20.8	98
2011	427	23.7	17.9	93.2
2012	415	23.0	18.0	99.3
2013	540	27.1	19.9	98.1
2014	543	27.5	19.7	99.4
2015	505	26.0	19.4	99.4
2016	505	26.0	19.4	98.8
2017	522	29.0	18.0	94.1
2018	475	26.0	18.2	77.9
2019	461	27.0	17.0	93.7
2020	424	28.0	15.1	99.8
2021	384	n/a	n/a	n/a
2022	337	28.0	12.0	100
2023	338	26.0	13.0	99.4

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.

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