Is Dunn Elementary a good school?

Dunn Elementary ranks in the bottom 10.2% of North Carolina elementary schools.

How many students attend Dunn Elementary?

In the 2022-23 school year, 799 students attended Dunn Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Dunn Elementary?

Students at Dunn Elementary are 46% African American, 26% Hispanic, 21% White, 5% Two or more races, 2% Asian.

Dunn Elementary

Summary:

Dunn Elementary is a public elementary school in Dunn, North Carolina, serving 799 students in grades PK-5. The school is part of the Harnett County Schools district, which is ranked 188 out of 242 districts in the state and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Dunn Elementary faces significant academic challenges, with student performance on End-of-Grade (EOG) tests significantly lower than state and district averages across all grade levels and subject areas. For example, in 2023-2024, only 30.2% of 3rd-grade students were proficient or better in reading, compared to the state average of 48.7%. The school's performance is particularly low for African American, Hispanic, and Special Education students, who rank in the bottom 20-25% of North Carolina elementary schools. Additionally, the school has an extremely high percentage of students (99%) receiving free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a high level of economic disadvantage among the student population.

While Dunn Elementary's per-student spending is on par with or higher than nearby schools, such as Buies Creek Elementary and McGee's Crossroads Elementary, its academic performance is significantly lower. This suggests that factors beyond funding and resources, such as socioeconomic challenges and equity issues, may be contributing to the school's struggles. The declining performance over the past three years and the underperformance compared to nearby schools in the Johnston County Public Schools and Sampson County Schools districts indicate the need for a comprehensive review of the school's instructional practices, resource allocation, and support systems to address the root causes of the performance gaps.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

800 W Harnett St
Dunn, NC 28334

(910) 892-0126

District: Harnett County Schools

SchoolDigger Rank:
1352^nd of 1,505 North Carolina Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $10,796

Student/teacher ratio: 12.8

Number of students: 799

Racial breakdown:

African American:

45.6%

Hispanic:

25.7%

White:

21.4%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 99%

See top rated North Carolina elementary schools

Compare Dunn Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Dunn Elementary ranks worse than 89.8% of elementary schools in North Carolina. It also ranks 11^th among 13 ranked elementary schools in the Harnett County Schools District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 15.67. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Student population at Dunn Elementary is diverse. Racial makeup is: African American (45.6%), Hispanic (25.7%), White (21.4%). (See more...)

Compare Details 99% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Dunn Elementary is 12.8, which is the 3^rd best among 13 elementary schools in the Harnett County Schools District. (See more...)

Compare Dunn Elementary employs 62 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Dunn Elementary is $10,796, which is the 4^th highest among 13 elementary schools in the Harnett County Schools District.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Dunn Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Dunn Elementary 1352^nd of 1505 North Carolina public elementary schools. (See Dunn Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

English Language Learner students:

Special Education students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

African American students:

Hispanic students:

White students:

Harnett County Schools:

SchoolDigger ranks Harnett County Schools 188^th of 242 North Carolina school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Dunn Elementary

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Rank History for all students at Dunn Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NC State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	13.24	1366^th	1502	9.1%
2024	15.67	1352^nd	1505	10.2%

See the entire list of North Carolina Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Dunn Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NC State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	27.28	401^st	514	22.0%
2024	35.47	351^st	533	34.1%

See the entire list of Best North Carolina Elementary Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at Dunn Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NC State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	19.40	739^th	801	7.7%

See the entire list of Best North Carolina Elementary Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Dunn Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NC State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	15.49	1332^nd	1437	7.3%
2024	20.84	1285^th	1450	11.4%

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

Rank History for Female students at Dunn Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NC State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	13.24	1349^th	1459	7.5%
2024	16.34	1317^th	1455	9.5%

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

Rank History for Male students at Dunn Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NC State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	14.34	1333^rd	1461	8.8%
2024	16.06	1315^th	1464	10.2%

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

Rank History for African American students at Dunn Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NC State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	19.16	843^rd	933	9.6%
2024	21.76	807^th	924	12.7%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at Dunn Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NC State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	17.96	842^nd	915	8.0%
2024	28.00	751^st	951	21.0%

See the entire list of Best North Carolina Elementary Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Dunn Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NC State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	24.54	989^th	1183	16.4%
2024	31.10	875^th	1166	25.0%

See the entire list of Best North Carolina Elementary Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: North Carolina Dept of Public Instruction, 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: North Carolina Dept of Public Instruction

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Enrollment information for Dunn Elementary

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	485	345	4	5	16	n/a	n/a	0	855
1989	468	342	4	7	17	n/a	n/a	0	838
1990	481	339	6	7	12	n/a	n/a	0	845
1991	461	321	5	10	17	n/a	n/a	3	817
1992	434	337	3	11	19	n/a	n/a	0	804
1993	433	364	3	10	17	n/a	n/a	0	827
1994	389	378	2	13	18	n/a	n/a	0	800
1995	327	393	3	8	9	n/a	n/a	0	740
1996	327	393	3	8	9	n/a	n/a	0	740
1997	328	424	7	6	10	n/a	n/a	0	775
1998	309	439	4	10	10	n/a	n/a	0	772
1999	310	427	4	12	10	n/a	n/a	0	763
2000	321	362	6	20	8	n/a	n/a	0	717
2001	325	367	2	31	12	n/a	n/a	0	737
2002	295	420	1	32	7	n/a	n/a	0	755
2003	295	420	1	32	7	n/a	n/a	0	755
2004	285	389	2	38	9	n/a	n/a	0	723
2005	252	391	2	38	8	n/a	n/a	0	691
2006	242	397	3	35	8	n/a	n/a	0	685
2007	241	370	6	33	9	n/a	n/a	38	697
2008	236	340	6	44	13	n/a	n/a	44	683
2009	216	359	7	42	10	n/a	n/a	0	634
2010	196	351	9	38	8	n/a	n/a	0	602
2011	181	273	5	66	15	0	33	0	573
2012	174	281	5	77	8	0	29	0	574
2013	193	287	3	82	4	0	35	0	604
2014	179	282	3	95	7	0	36	0	602
2015	193	300	7	107	12	1	36	0	656
2016	170	309	12	99	15	1	38	0	644
2017	153	290	10	102	11	0	37	0	603
2018	144	276	12	100	8	0	27	0	567
2019	136	290	12	110	7	0	29	0	584
2020	126	322	17	129	7	1	29	0	631
2021	104	278	12	136	5	1	29	0	565
2022	128	272	12	139	5	0	36	0	592
2023	171	364	13	205	6	2	38	0	799

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 Dunn Elementary

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	855	41.0	20.8	48.1
1989	838	41.0	20.4	100
1990	845	41.0	20.6	43.8
1991	817	41.0	19.9	43.6
1992	804	41.0	19.6	39.8
1993	827	41.0	20.2	49.5
1994	800	41.0	19.5	52.5
1995	740	42.0	17.6	59.7
1996	740	42.0	17.6	59.7
1997	775	46.0	16.8	55.6
1998	772	51.0	15.1	57.4
1999	763	52.0	14.7	68
2000	717	52.0	13.8	69.6
2001	737	52.0	14.2	61.1
2002	755	52.0	14.5	68.2
2003	755	52.0	14.5	68.2
2004	723	52.0	13.9	69
2005	691	44.0	15.7	69.6
2006	685	49.0	14.0	n/a
2007	697	n/a	n/a	74.8
2008	683	49.1	13.9	80.6
2009	634	49.0	12.9	73.2
2010	602	42.6	14.1	76.2
2011	573	41.8	13.6	76.1
2012	574	39.8	14.4	77.9
2013	604	39.8	15.1	81.6
2014	602	45.8	13.1	86.2
2015	656	45.0	14.5	84
2016	644	46.0	14.0	85.4
2017	603	44.6	13.4	86.9
2018	567	43.2	13.1	99.5
2019	584	44.5	13.1	99.5
2020	631	45.7	13.7	99.4
2021	565	44.5	12.6	99.5
2022	592	48.1	12.3	99.3
2023	799	62.0	12.8	99

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 Dunn Elementary

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	855	41.0	20.8	48.1
1989	838	41.0	20.4	100
1990	845	41.0	20.6	43.8
1991	817	41.0	19.9	43.6
1992	804	41.0	19.6	39.8
1993	827	41.0	20.2	49.5
1994	800	41.0	19.5	52.5
1995	740	42.0	17.6	59.7
1996	740	42.0	17.6	59.7
1997	775	46.0	16.8	55.6
1998	772	51.0	15.1	57.4
1999	763	52.0	14.7	68
2000	717	52.0	13.8	69.6
2001	737	52.0	14.2	61.1
2002	755	52.0	14.5	68.2
2003	755	52.0	14.5	68.2
2004	723	52.0	13.9	69
2005	691	44.0	15.7	69.6
2006	685	49.0	14.0	n/a
2007	697	n/a	n/a	74.8
2008	683	49.1	13.9	80.6
2009	634	49.0	12.9	73.2
2010	602	42.6	14.1	76.2
2011	573	41.8	13.6	76.1
2012	574	39.8	14.4	77.9
2013	604	39.8	15.1	81.6
2014	602	45.8	13.1	86.2
2015	656	45.0	14.5	84
2016	644	46.0	14.0	85.4
2017	603	44.6	13.4	86.9
2018	567	43.2	13.1	99.5
2019	584	44.5	13.1	99.5
2020	631	45.7	13.7	99.4
2021	565	44.5	12.6	99.5
2022	592	48.1	12.3	99.3
2023	799	62.0	12.8	99

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 Dunn Elementary

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$1,629 (15.1%)	$9,166 (84.9%)	$10,796

Data source: North Carolina Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Dunn Elementary

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.

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade Mathematics (Dunn Elementary)	57.8	52	5.8%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Harnett County Schools)	59	51.3	7.7%
3rd Grade Mathematics (North Carolina)	64.3	61.1	3.2%
3rd Grade Reading (Dunn Elementary)	45.9	32.9	13%
3rd Grade Reading (Harnett County Schools)	52.2	40.2	12%
3rd Grade Reading (North Carolina)	56.8	48	8.8%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	584	799	36.8%
African American	290	364	25.5%
American Indian	7	6	14.3%
Asian	12	13	8.3%
Hispanic	110	205	86.4%
Pacific Islander	0	2
White	136	171	25.7%
Two or More Races	29	38	31%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	99.5%	99%	0.5%

Schools Near Dunn Elementary

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				EOG Mathematics (2024)						EOG Reading (2024)						EOG Science (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	EOG Mathematics 3rd Grade	EOG Mathematics 4th Grade	EOG Mathematics 5th Grade	EOG Mathematics 6th Grade	EOG Mathematics 7th Grade	EOG Mathematics 8th Grade	EOG Reading 3rd Grade	EOG Reading 4th Grade	EOG Reading 5th Grade	EOG Reading 6th Grade	EOG Reading 7th Grade	EOG Reading 8th Grade	EOG Science 5th Grade	EOG Science 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Dunn Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	800 W Harnett St	Dunn	28334	Harnett County	Harnett County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(910) 892-0126	799	62	12.8	99.0%	171 (21.4%)	364 (45.6%)	205 (25.7%)	13 (1.6%)	6 (0.8%)	2 (0.3%)	38 (4.8%)	15.7	1352^nd of 1505 public elementary schools	10.2%		13.2	1366^th of 1502 public elementary schools	9.1%	14	51.6	39.7	24.4				30.2	34.4	25.2				43.1		$10,796	$1,629	$9,166
Erwin Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	405 Denim Dr.	Erwin	28339	Harnett County	Harnett County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(910) 897-7178	562	41	13.6	99.5%	243 (43.2%)	134 (23.8%)	151 (26.9%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (5.2%)	14.4	1371^st of 1505 public elementary schools	8.9%		17.1	1307^th of 1502 public elementary schools	13.0%	64	45.9	28.0	35.4				24.5	29.0	33.3				52.1		$10,032	$1,452	$8,580
Benson Elementary	Public	PK, KG-4	2040 Hwy 50 N	Benson	27504	Johnston County	Johnston County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(919) 894-4233	608	42	14.4	73.8%	243 (40.0%)	106 (17.4%)	219 (36.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	39 (6.4%)	72.1	369^th of 1505 public elementary schools	75.5%		56.5	648^th of 1502 public elementary schools	56.9%	279	83.7	64.1					57.1	55.5							$10,116	$1,002	$9,114
Coats Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	585 Brick Mill Road	Coats	27521	Harnett County	Harnett County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(910) 897-8353	671	53	12.5	72.0%	277 (41.3%)	110 (16.4%)	252 (37.6%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	31 (4.6%)	16	1344^th of 1505 public elementary schools	10.7%		16.8	1311^th of 1502 public elementary schools	12.7%	33	38.2	35.0	46.5				22.5	35.0	36.6				38.6		$9,628	$1,127	$8,501
Plain View Elementary	Public	K-5	4140 Plain View Hwy	Dunn	28334	Harnett County	Sampson County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(910) 891-4354	351	26	13.2	99.1%	230 (65.5%)	25 (7.1%)	80 (22.8%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (3.4%)	65.7	481^st of 1505 public elementary schools	68.0%		67.1	465^th of 1502 public elementary schools	69.0%	16	74.6	55.7	70.6				47.6	55.7	60.8				72.5		$9,947	$1,248	$8,699
Meadow School	Public	PK, KG-8	7507 NC Hwy 50 S	Benson	27504	Johnston County	Johnston County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(919) 894-4226	609	45	13.5	59.1%	379 (62.2%)	24 (3.9%)	185 (30.4%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (3.1%)	72.6	363^rd of 1505 public elementary schools	75.9%		73.7	345^th of 1502 public elementary schools	77.0%	18	66.7	65.3	73.8	64.0	80.3	60.6	58.3	54.2	53.8	69.8	49.2	56.3	76.9	77.5	$10,525	$841	$9,683
Buies Creek Elementary	Public	K-5	340 Main Street	Buies Creek	27506	Harnett County	Harnett County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(910) 893-3505	232	17	13.3	53.9%	127 (54.7%)	42 (18.1%)	40 (17.2%)	2 (0.9%)	2 (0.9%)	1 (0.4%)	18 (7.8%)	45.7	823^rd of 1505 public elementary schools	45.3%		38.9	955^th of 1502 public elementary schools	36.4%	132	51.2	40.5	62.5				34.9	48.6	56.3				84.4		$10,852	$1,195	$9,657
Midway Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	15375 Spiveys Corner Highway	Dunn	28334	Harnett County	Sampson County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(910) 567-2244	532	39	13.6	99.4%	248 (46.6%)	52 (9.8%)	199 (37.4%)	2 (0.4%)	9 (1.7%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (4.1%)	55.2	659^th of 1505 public elementary schools	56.2%		49.7	774^th of 1502 public elementary schools	48.5%	115	83.7	65.4	53.9				48.9	51.9	32.9				63.2		$10,134	$1,173	$8,961
District No 7 Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	5721 Smithfield Road	Wade	28395	Cumberland County	Cumberland County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(910) 483-0001	195	16	12.1	98.5%	139 (71.3%)	16 (8.2%)	24 (12.3%)	2 (1.0%)	5 (2.6%)	1 (0.5%)	8 (4.1%)	72.9	359^th of 1505 public elementary schools	76.1%		79	254^th of 1502 public elementary schools	83.1%	105	68.8	76.5	57.6				56.3	67.6	54.5				81.8		$11,671	$943	$10,728
Lillington-Shawtown Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	855 Old US 421	Lillington	27546	Harnett County	Harnett County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(910) 893-3483	694	52	13.4	99.6%	273 (39.3%)	237 (34.1%)	134 (19.3%)	4 (0.6%)	7 (1.0%)	4 (0.6%)	35 (5.0%)	23.3	1224^th of 1505 public elementary schools	18.7%		17	1308^th of 1502 public elementary schools	12.9%	84	55.7	35.5	32.1				50.0	33.6	35.8				36.7		$11,024	$1,970	$9,053

Dunn Elementary

Dunn Elementary:

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Harnett County Schools:

What do you think?

Rank History for Dunn Elementary

Rank History for all students at Dunn Elementary

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Dunn Elementary

Rank History for Special Education students at Dunn Elementary

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Dunn Elementary

Rank History for Female students at Dunn Elementary

Rank History for Male students at Dunn Elementary

Rank History for African American students at Dunn Elementary

Rank History for Hispanic students at Dunn Elementary

Rank History for White students at Dunn Elementary

Enrollment information for Dunn Elementary

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Dunn Elementary

Student/Teacher Ratio Dunn Elementary

Per Pupil Expenditures for Dunn Elementary

Impact of COVID-19 on Dunn Elementary

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Dunn Elementary

Frequently Asked Questions about Dunn Elementary

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