Paul Laurence Dunbar High School

Public 9-12

 1600 Man O' War Blvd
       Lexington, KY  40513


(859) 381-3546

District: Fayette County

SchoolDigger Rank:
30th of 290 Kentucky High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $15,915 Help


Feeder schools for Paul Laurence Dunbar High School:

Elementary:    Booker T Washington Elementary School
    Cardinal Valley Elementary School
    Garden Springs Elementary School
    James Lane Allen Elementary School
    More...
Middle:    Beaumont Middle School
    Leestown Middle School

Student/teacher ratio:  18.0 Help
Number of students:  1,946

Racial breakdown:

White:
42.1%
Hispanic:
30.6%
African American:
13.8%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  45.6% Help


 See top rated Kentucky high schools

 Compare Paul Laurence Dunbar High School to nearby high schools!

Performance Trends
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Compare Details Paul Laurence Dunbar High School ranks better than 89.7% of high schools in Kentucky. It also ranks 2nd among 11 ranked high schools in the Fayette County School District. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 80.1. (See more...)
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The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at Paul Laurence Dunbar High School who earn a standard high school diploma within four years of starting ninth grade.
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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
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Compare Details Paul Laurence Dunbar High School has the largest high school student body size in the Fayette County School District.  (See more...)
Finance
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Compare Details The average total spent per student at Paul Laurence Dunbar High School is $15,915, which is the 5th highest among 11 high schools in the Fayette County School District.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Paul Laurence Dunbar High School:

SchoolDigger ranks Paul Laurence Dunbar High School 30th of 290 Kentucky public high schools. (See Paul Laurence Dunbar High School in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


Multi-racial students:
English Language Learner students:
Special Education students:
Low Socio Economic Status students:
Female students:
Male students:
Asian students:
African American students:
Hispanic students:
White students:


Fayette County:

SchoolDigger ranks Fayette County 77th of 159 Kentucky school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Your rating for Paul Laurence Dunbar High School?

Rank History for Paul Laurence Dunbar High School

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Compare

Rank History for all students at Paul Laurence Dunbar High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools KY State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2007 85.52 19th 217 91.2%
2008 79.54 23rd 217 89.4%
2009 80.22 21st 217 90.3%
2010 80.33 24th 223 89.2%
2011 76.68 29th 226 87.2%
2012 73.57 41st 229 82.1%
2013 81.77 28th 291 90.4%
2014 79.80 34th 290 88.3%
2015 77.55 45th 295 84.7%
2016 84.11 24th 288 91.7%
2017 78.32 40th 287 86.1%
2018 80.81 35th 271 87.1%
2019 89.04 16th 285 94.4%
2021 89.72 11th 267 95.9%
2022 87.20 14th 271 94.8%
2023 76.06 38th 276 86.2%
2024 80.10 30th 290 89.7%
See the entire list of Kentucky High School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Paul Laurence Dunbar High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools KY State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 64.33 14th 42 66.7%
2021 68.33 12th 49 75.5%
2022 87.41 4th 77 94.8%
2023 83.99 6th 76 92.1%
2024 89.52 9th 87 89.7%
See the entire list of Best Kentucky High Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Paul Laurence Dunbar High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools KY State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 49.37 11th 30 63.3%
2019 76.40 1st 29 96.6%
2021 43.30 13th 29 55.2%
2022 39.44 21st 37 43.2%
2023 52.70 10th 41 75.6%
2024 37.01 23rd 48 52.1%
See the entire list of Best Kentucky High Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at Paul Laurence Dunbar High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools KY State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2019 87.69 15th 226 93.4%
2023 43.29 76th 162 53.1%
2024 46.82 64th 168 61.9%
See the entire list of Best Kentucky High Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Paul Laurence Dunbar High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools KY State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 29.68 184th 232 20.7%
2019 46.13 153rd 254 39.8%
2021 38.30 154th 234 34.2%
2022 52.90 106th 266 60.2%
2023 35.24 183rd 272 32.7%
2024 32.88 190th 274 30.7%
See the entire list of Best Kentucky High Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Paul Laurence Dunbar High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools KY State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 77.43 39th 234 83.3%
2019 86.46 14th 249 94.4%
2021 81.15 21st 236 91.1%
2022 78.77 25th 252 90.1%
2023 69.95 48th 253 81.0%
2024 76.79 34th 261 87.0%
See the entire list of Best Kentucky High Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Disabled students at Paul Laurence Dunbar High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools KY State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 28.02 130th 166 21.7%
2019 20.09 150th 166 9.6%
2021 88.31 6th 154 96.1%
2022 39.57 95th 153 37.9%
See the entire list of Best Kentucky High Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for Gifted and Talented students at Paul Laurence Dunbar High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools KY State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 70.98 28th 115 75.7%
2019 79.23 6th 102 94.1%
2022 90.38 1st 38 97.4%
See the entire list of Best Kentucky High Schools for Gifted and Talented Students!

Rank History for Male students at Paul Laurence Dunbar High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools KY State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 80.32 30th 237 87.3%
2019 88.06 15th 251 94.0%
2021 92.16 9th 238 96.2%
2022 91.17 10th 257 96.1%
2023 76.49 28th 259 89.2%
2024 81.01 24th 262 90.8%
See the entire list of Best Kentucky High Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Asian students at Paul Laurence Dunbar High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools KY State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 90.68 2nd 25 92.0%
2019 93.39 2nd 23 91.3%
2021 84.08 4th 23 82.6%
2022 93.79 1st 28 96.4%
2023 83.86 4th 26 84.6%
2024 89.24 3rd 27 88.9%
See the entire list of Best Kentucky High Schools for Asian Students!

Rank History for African American students at Paul Laurence Dunbar High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools KY State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 43.13 51st 94 45.7%
2019 67.96 17th 89 80.9%
2021 52.24 22nd 78 71.8%
2022 44.52 39th 89 56.2%
2023 48.36 37th 83 55.4%
2024 48.35 46th 93 50.5%
See the entire list of Best Kentucky High Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Paul Laurence Dunbar High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools KY State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 23.40 69th 80 13.8%
2019 40.81 49th 88 44.3%
2021 38.99 55th 92 40.2%
2022 38.79 68th 114 40.4%
2023 32.78 82nd 116 29.3%
2024 26.91 98th 124 21.0%
See the entire list of Best Kentucky High Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Paul Laurence Dunbar High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools KY State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 93.86 11th 198 94.4%
2019 96.30 2nd 219 99.1%
2021 96.92 4th 203 98.0%
2022 97.11 4th 260 98.5%
2023 89.85 14th 264 94.7%
2024 96.21 3rd 273 98.9%
See the entire list of Best Kentucky High Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Kentucky Department 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.

Paul Laurence Dunbar High School Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 




Data source: Kentucky Department of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 3.5)
50%

0%

0%

50%

0%

  

Reviews:
by a student
Tuesday, January 23, 2024

Open Quote The school is boring with the teachers expecting everyone to work with basic notes and no fun, interesting, or inspiring activities. Just notes, review, quiz, then repeat. There are very little rules so students can run like crazy and teachers don’t care. Close Quote


by a student
Saturday, August 27, 2011

Open Quote I have actually graduated but was quite satisfied with my time here. The resources are available to get anything you want out of your high school education. I was able to take 9 AP courses and tests which is something you don't find anywhere. I highly recommend this school. Close Quote



Enrollment information for Paul Laurence Dunbar High School

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Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1991 911 338 7 7 0 n/a n/a 0 1263
1992 1152 340 12 12 0 n/a n/a 0 1516
1993 1284 375 23 7 1 n/a n/a 0 1690
1994 1289 372 27 7 0 n/a n/a 0 1695
1995 1473 445 56 6 1 n/a n/a 0 1981
1996 1473 445 56 6 1 n/a n/a 0 1981
1997 1452 343 70 7 1 n/a n/a 0 1873
1998 1534 348 46 11 1 n/a n/a 21 1961
1999 1533 357 0 15 0 n/a n/a 66 1971
2000 1530 331 0 13 0 n/a n/a 78 1952
2001 1528 360 59 29 2 n/a n/a 23 2001
2002 1535 379 92 54 4 n/a n/a 0 2064
2003 1535 379 92 54 4 n/a n/a 0 2064
2004 1580 397 97 79 3 n/a n/a 0 2156
2005 1607 372 115 68 3 n/a n/a 0 2165
2006 1591 381 135 98 4 n/a n/a 0 2209
2007 1520 360 145 107 3 n/a n/a 37 2172
2008 1478 388 149 112 7 n/a n/a 48 2182
2009 1409 387 138 139 4 n/a n/a 50 2127
2010 1372 363 143 190 6 n/a n/a 47 2121
2011 1359 316 143 245 1 0 35 0 2099
2012 1319 336 152 270 1 1 41 0 2120
2013 1268 362 171 301 2 0 56 0 2160
2014 1295 360 181 318 1 1 64 0 2220
2015 1247 352 185 324 1 1 58 0 2168
2016 1250 370 177 428 2 0 61 0 2288
2017 1193 339 172 485 1 2 52 0 2244
2018 1066 263 169 496 3 2 55 0 2054
2019 1010 240 181 491 2 3 53 0 1980
2020 952 256 189 557 2 2 58 0 2016
2021 913 268 198 573 4 1 65 0 2022
2022 905 264 194 616 1 1 73 0 2054
2023 819 268 183 596 3 1 76 0 1946

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 Laurence Dunbar High School

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Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1991 1263 80.2 15.7 n/a
1992 1516 88.5 17.1 n/a
1993 1690 89.1 19.0 n/a
1994 1695 97.6 17.4 n/a
1995 1981 100.3 19.8 n/a
1996 1981 100.3 19.8 n/a
1997 1873 99.0 18.9 12.7
1998 1961 102.4 19.2 11.5
1999 1971 103.4 19.1 19.3
2000 1952 111.5 17.5 19.1
2001 2001 110.0 18.2 17.5
2002 2064 114.6 18.0 29.4
2003 2064 114.6 18.0 29.4
2004 2156 117.9 18.3 n/a
2005 2165 116.8 18.5 n/a
2006 2209 114.4 19.3 22.4
2007 2172 112.0 19.4 22.4
2008 2182 111.8 19.5 25.1
2009 2127 110.6 19.2 27.1
2010 2121 97.4 21.7 30.9
2011 2099 114.9 18.2 31.3
2012 2120 120.7 17.5 31.9
2013 2160 116.3 18.5 35.4
2014 2220 116.9 18.9 33.6
2015 2168 114.0 19.0 37.9
2016 2288 119.0 19.2 44.5
2017 2244 118.6 18.9 42.6
2018 2054 113.3 18.1 41.8
2019 1980 106.5 18.5 36.8
2020 2016 103.1 19.5 37.7
2021 2022 105.4 19.1 49.1
2022 2054 106.9 19.2 38.9
2023 1946 107.7 18.0 45.6

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 Laurence Dunbar High School

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Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1991 1263 80.2 15.7 n/a
1992 1516 88.5 17.1 n/a
1993 1690 89.1 19.0 n/a
1994 1695 97.6 17.4 n/a
1995 1981 100.3 19.8 n/a
1996 1981 100.3 19.8 n/a
1997 1873 99.0 18.9 12.7
1998 1961 102.4 19.2 11.5
1999 1971 103.4 19.1 19.3
2000 1952 111.5 17.5 19.1
2001 2001 110.0 18.2 17.5
2002 2064 114.6 18.0 29.4
2003 2064 114.6 18.0 29.4
2004 2156 117.9 18.3 n/a
2005 2165 116.8 18.5 n/a
2006 2209 114.4 19.3 22.4
2007 2172 112.0 19.4 22.4
2008 2182 111.8 19.5 25.1
2009 2127 110.6 19.2 27.1
2010 2121 97.4 21.7 30.9
2011 2099 114.9 18.2 31.3
2012 2120 120.7 17.5 31.9
2013 2160 116.3 18.5 35.4
2014 2220 116.9 18.9 33.6
2015 2168 114.0 19.0 37.9
2016 2288 119.0 19.2 44.5
2017 2244 118.6 18.9 42.6
2018 2054 113.3 18.1 41.8
2019 1980 106.5 18.5 36.8
2020 2016 103.1 19.5 37.7
2021 2022 105.4 19.1 49.1
2022 2054 106.9 19.2 38.9
2023 1946 107.7 18.0 45.6

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 Laurence Dunbar High School

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YearPersonnel Expenditures from Federal FundsNon-Personnel Expenditures from Federal FundsTotal Expenditures from Federal FundsPersonnel Expenditures from State and Local FundsNon-Personnel Expenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2018 $136 (1.0%) $105 (0.8%) $241 (1.8%) $9,750 (73.4%) $1,763 (13.3%) $11,513 (86.7%) $13,284
2019 $143 (1.1%) $106 (0.8%) $247 (1.9%) $9,508 (74.3%) $1,640 (12.8%) $11,146 (87.1%) $12,801
2020 $183 (1.3%) $95 (0.7%) $278 (2.0%) $9,781 (70.6%) $1,673 (12.1%) $11,454 (82.7%) $13,857
2021 $378 (2.9%) $408 (3.1%) $786 (6.0%) $10,035 (76.9%) $1,453 (11.1%) $11,337 (86.9%) $13,046
2022 $827 (5.2%) $381 (2.4%) $1,208 (7.6%) $10,592 (66.6%) $2,199 (13.8%) $12,791 (80.4%) $15,915

Data source: Kentucky Department of Education
Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Paul Laurence 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 16th of 285 High schoolsRanks 38th of 276 High schools
 8.2%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
11th Grade English (Paul Laurence Dunbar High School)63.853
 10.8%
   11th Grade English (Fayette County)52.749
 3.7%
   11th Grade English (Kentucky)49.147
 2.1%
11th Grade Mathematics (Paul Laurence Dunbar High School)5445
 9%
   11th Grade Mathematics (Fayette County)4239
 3%
   11th Grade Mathematics (Kentucky)36.433
 3.4%
11th Grade Reading (Paul Laurence Dunbar High School)62.254
 8.2%
   11th Grade Reading (Fayette County)51.549
 2.5%
   11th Grade Reading (Kentucky)4644
 2%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students19801946
 1.7%
African American240268
 11.7%
American Indian23
 50%
Asian181183
 1.1%
Hispanic491596
 21.4%
Pacific Islander31
 66.7%
White1010819
 18.9%
Two or More Races5376
 43.4%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients36.8%45.6%
 8.8%


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Frequently Asked Questions about Paul Laurence Dunbar High School

Paul Laurence Dunbar High School ranks 30th of 290 Kentucky high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

In the 2022-23 school year, 1,946 students attended Paul Laurence Dunbar High School.

Students at Paul Laurence Dunbar High School are 42% White, 31% Hispanic, 14% African American, 9% Asian, 4% Two or more races.


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





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