Is Dawes Middle School a good school?

Dawes Middle School ranks in the bottom 9.0% of Nebraska middle schools.

How many students attend Dawes Middle School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 396 students attended Dawes Middle School.

What is the racial makeup of Dawes Middle School?

Students at Dawes Middle School are 52% White, 20% Hispanic, 12% Two or more races, 11% African American, 4% Asian.

What high school do graduates of Dawes Middle School attend?

Students who attend Dawes Middle School usually go on to attend Lincoln Northeast High School

Dawes Middle School

Summary:

Dawes Middle School is a public middle school in Lincoln, Nebraska, serving 405 students in grades 6-8. While part of the Lincoln Public Schools district, Dawes Middle School has consistently underperformed compared to other schools in the district and across the state.

Academically, Dawes Middle School lags behind its peers, with significantly lower proficiency rates in English Language Arts and Mathematics compared to the district and state averages. The school also struggles with high chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 21.5% to 39.4% over the past few years. Interestingly, the school's performance varies across different student subgroups, with relatively strong rankings for African American students and English Language Learners, but much lower rankings for White students and students with special education needs.

When comparing Dawes Middle School to nearby schools in the Lincoln Public Schools district, the differences become even more pronounced. For example, Lux Middle School, located just 5.23 miles away, consistently ranks among the top middle schools in Nebraska and outperforms Dawes Middle School by a significant margin in all subject areas and grade levels. The high rates of chronic absenteeism and the large proportion of students from low-socioeconomic backgrounds at Dawes Middle School may be contributing factors to the school's underperformance, which will likely require targeted interventions and support to address.

Detail:

Public 6-8

5130 Colfax Street
Lincoln, NE 68504-1751

(402) 436-1211

District: Lincoln Public Schools

SchoolDigger Rank:
182^nd of 200 Nebraska Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $18,565

Students who attend Dawes Middle School usually attend:

High:

Lincoln Northeast High School

Feeder schools for Dawes Middle School:

Elementary:	Huntington Elementary School
	Norwood Park Elementary School
	Pershing Elementary School

Student/teacher ratio: 10.1

Number of students: 396

Racial breakdown:

White:

52.0%

Hispanic:

19.7%

Two or more races:

12.4%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 76.5%

See top rated Nebraska middle schools

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Dawes Middle School ranks worse than 91% of middle schools in Nebraska. It also ranks 9^th among 12 ranked middle schools in the Lincoln Public Schools District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 14.12. (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 Student population at Dawes Middle School is diverse. Racial makeup is: White (52%), Hispanic (19.7%), two or more races (12.4%). (See more...)

Compare Details 76.5% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Dawes Middle School is 10.1, which is the 2^nd best among 12 middle schools in the Lincoln Public Schools District. (See more...)

Compare Dawes Middle School employs 39.2 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Dawes Middle School is $18,565, which is the highest among 14 middle schools in the Lincoln Public Schools District!

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Dawes Middle School:

SchoolDigger ranks Dawes Middle School 182^nd of 200 Nebraska public middle schools. (See Dawes Middle School in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

Hispanic students:

White students:

Lincoln Public Schools:

SchoolDigger ranks Lincoln Public Schools 130^th of 182 Nebraska school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

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Rank History for Dawes Middle School

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Rank History for all students at Dawes Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	NE State Percentile
2014	35.42	192^nd	252	23.8%
2015	43.55	162^nd	256	36.7%
2016	32.24	195^th	255	23.5%
2017	21.11	203^rd	236	14.0%
2018	31.61	174^th	225	22.7%
2019	21.69	209^th	247	15.4%
2021	18.84	195^th	223	12.6%
2022	15.27	230^th	249	7.6%
2023	11.72	217^th	238	8.8%
2024	14.12	182^nd	200	9.0%

See the entire list of Nebraska Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Dawes Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	NE State Percentile
2018	17.40	15^th	17	11.8%
2019	18.23	19^th	20	5.0%
2023	17.70	25^th	29	13.8%

See the entire list of Best Nebraska Middle Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Dawes Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	NE State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	76.87	5^th	35	85.7%

See the entire list of Best Nebraska Middle Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at Dawes Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	NE State Percentile
2018	22.50	34^th	44	22.7%
2019	30.13	37^th	52	28.8%
2021	30.23	27^th	40	32.5%
2023	14.17	63^rd	70	10.0%

See the entire list of Best Nebraska Middle Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Dawes Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	NE State Percentile
2018	35.21	88^th	120	26.7%
2019	26.88	96^th	123	22.0%
2021	23.17	89^th	115	22.6%
2022	22.13	99^th	118	16.1%
2023	18.69	124^th	144	13.9%
2024	28.06	71^st	92	22.8%

See the entire list of Best Nebraska Middle Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Dawes Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	NE State Percentile
2018	32.05	113^th	147	23.1%
2019	22.78	136^th	156	12.8%
2021	19.71	116^th	137	15.3%
2022	14.45	134^th	150	10.7%
2023	10.00	134^th	146	8.2%
2024	13.38	93^rd	106	12.3%

See the entire list of Best Nebraska Middle Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at Dawes Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	NE State Percentile
2018	29.56	110^th	141	22.0%
2019	23.08	130^th	153	15.0%
2021	17.33	125^th	144	13.2%
2022	16.84	142^nd	160	11.3%
2023	17.09	137^th	156	12.2%
2024	27.80	81^st	106	23.6%

See the entire list of Best Nebraska Middle Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for African American students at Dawes Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	NE State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2019	89.23	3^rd	24	87.5%
2023	59.32	13^th	30	56.7%

See the entire list of Best Nebraska Middle Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Dawes Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	NE State Percentile
2018	32.76	39^th	56	30.4%
2019	37.11	40^th	62	35.5%
2021	33.47	40^th	59	32.2%
2022	23.33	51^st	61	16.4%
2023	17.26	56^th	67	16.4%
2024	35.44	40^th	56	28.6%

See the entire list of Best Nebraska Middle Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Dawes Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	NE State Percentile
2018	35.68	146^th	203	28.1%
2019	25.22	185^th	222	16.7%
2021	23.56	171^st	204	16.2%
2022	19.22	205^th	234	12.4%
2023	16.67	200^th	217	7.8%
2024	16.94	123^rd	141	12.8%

See the entire list of Best Nebraska Middle Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Nebraska 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.

Data source: Nebraska Department of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 1)

100%

Reviews:

by a parent
Monday, December 4, 2017

Better staff and principal would help this school tremendously Close Quote

Enrollment information for Dawes Middle School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
2012	222	18	18	38	0	0	27	323
2013	253	22	25	52	6	0	37	395
2014	278	31	21	56	5	0	46	437
2015	264	34	18	66	6	0	47	435
2016	289	39	15	64	2	1	42	452
2017	313	36	14	68	6	1	56	494
2018	327	38	8	67	6	1	60	507
2019	292	37	8	66	3	0	67	473
2020	273	32	7	75	3	0	61	451
2021	251	41	8	85	1	0	58	444
2022	224	36	9	80	1	0	61	411
2023	218	45	11	69	4	0	58	405
2024	206	45	14	78	3	1	49	396

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 Dawes Middle School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2012	323	25.9	12.4	71.2
2013	395	34.6	11.3	64.6
2014	437	39.5	11.0	62
2015	435	41.0	10.6	62.3
2016	452	42.0	10.7	58.4
2017	494	46.5	10.6	61.3
2018	507	42.6	11.8	63.3
2019	473	42.3	11.1	63.6
2020	451	40.7	11.0	67.4
2021	444	41.0	10.8	71.4
2022	411	40.8	10.0	66.7
2023	405	36.4	11.1	48.4
2024	396	39.2	10.1	76.5

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 Dawes Middle School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2012	323	25.9	12.4	71.2
2013	395	34.6	11.3	64.6
2014	437	39.5	11.0	62
2015	435	41.0	10.6	62.3
2016	452	42.0	10.7	58.4
2017	494	46.5	10.6	61.3
2018	507	42.6	11.8	63.3
2019	473	42.3	11.1	63.6
2020	451	40.7	11.0	67.4
2021	444	41.0	10.8	71.4
2022	411	40.8	10.0	66.7
2023	405	36.4	11.1	48.4
2024	396	39.2	10.1	76.5

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 Dawes Middle School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$1,151 (7.8%)	$11,943 (81.2%)	$14,709
2020	$1,190 (7.6%)	$12,832 (81.7%)	$15,699
2021	$1,529 (9.2%)	$13,272 (79.7%)	$16,644
2022	$2,522 (13.4%)	$13,842 (73.8%)	$18,755
2023	$2,714 (14.6%)	$12,997 (70.0%)	$18,565

Data source: Nebraska Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Dawes Middle 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 209^th of 247 Middle schools	Ranks 217^th of 238 Middle schools	6.6%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
6th Grade English Language Arts (Dawes Middle School)	42	47	5%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Lincoln Public Schools)	56	58	2%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Nebraska)	49	55	6%
6th Grade Mathematics (Dawes Middle School)	34	26	8%
6th Grade Mathematics (Lincoln Public Schools)	62	55	7%
6th Grade Mathematics (Nebraska)	55	57	2%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Dawes Middle School)	36	42	6%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Lincoln Public Schools)	50	56	6%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Nebraska)	49	54	5%
7th Grade Mathematics (Dawes Middle School)	34	44	10%
7th Grade Mathematics (Lincoln Public Schools)	53	67	14%
7th Grade Mathematics (Nebraska)	48	66	18%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Dawes Middle School)	43	49	6%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Lincoln Public Schools)	53	64	11%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Nebraska)	50	62	12%
8th Grade Mathematics (Dawes Middle School)	40	44	4%
8th Grade Mathematics (Lincoln Public Schools)	50	60	10%
8th Grade Mathematics (Nebraska)	47	61	14%
8th Grade Science (Dawes Middle School)	55	45	10%
8th Grade Science (Lincoln Public Schools)	63	59	4%
8th Grade Science (Nebraska)	62	64	2%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	473	405	14.4%
African American	37	45	21.6%
American Indian	3	4	33.3%
Asian	8	11	37.5%
Hispanic	66	69	4.5%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	292	218	25.3%
Two or More Races	67	58	13.4%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	63.6%	48.4%	15.2%

Schools Near Dawes Middle School

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				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	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Dawes Middle School	Public	6-8	5130 Colfax Street	Lincoln	68504	Lancaster County	Lincoln Public Schools	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(402) 436-1211	396	39	10.1	76.5%	206 (52.0%)	45 (11.4%)	78 (19.7%)	14 (3.5%)	3 (0.8%)	1 (0.3%)	49 (12.4%)	14.1	182^nd of 200 public middle schools	9.0%		11.7	217^th of 238 public middle schools	8.8%	35	$18,565	$2,714	$12,997
Mickle Middle School	Public	6-8	2500 N 67th St	Lincoln	68507	Lancaster County	Lincoln Public Schools	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(402) 436-1216	702	46	15.1	49.3%	500 (71.2%)	31 (4.4%)	92 (13.1%)	12 (1.7%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	65 (9.3%)	40.5	133^rd of 200 public middle schools	33.5%		57.9	108^th of 238 public middle schools	54.6%	25	$13,871	$1,043	$11,016
Culler Middle School	Public	6-8	5201 Vine St	Lincoln	68504	Lancaster County	Lincoln Public Schools	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(402) 436-1210	680	65	10.5	79.9%	288 (42.4%)	101 (14.9%)	173 (25.4%)	39 (5.7%)	5 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	74 (10.9%)	1.7	191^st of 200 public middle schools	4.5%		4.2	228^th of 238 public middle schools	4.2%	37	$16,377	$2,333	$12,077
Goodrich Middle School	Public	6-8	4600 Lewis Avenue	Lincoln	68521	Lancaster County	Lincoln Public Schools	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(402) 436-1213	852	74	11.5	81.3%	371 (43.5%)	116 (13.6%)	226 (26.5%)	46 (5.4%)	3 (0.4%)	2 (0.2%)	88 (10.3%)	8.8	188^th of 200 public middle schools	6.0%		11.5	218^th of 238 public middle schools	8.4%	30	$14,814	$2,123	$11,142
Lefler Middle School	Public	6-8	1100 S 48th St	Lincoln	68510	Lancaster County	Lincoln Public Schools	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(402) 436-1215	611	47	12.9	64.8%	323 (52.9%)	59 (9.7%)	111 (18.2%)	32 (5.2%)	9 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	77 (12.6%)	36.3	142^nd of 200 public middle schools	29.0%		33	181^st of 238 public middle schools	23.9%	39	$15,584	$1,745	$11,887
Nuernberger Education Center	Public	6-8	1801 S 40th St	Lincoln	68506	Lancaster County	Lincoln Public Schools	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(402) 436-1255	0	13	.0		0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Middle School Student Support Program	Public	6-8	1801 South 40th Street	Lincoln	68506	Lancaster County	Lincoln Public Schools	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(402) 436-1694	0	0			0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Park Middle School	Public	6-8	855 S 8th St	Lincoln	68508	Lancaster County	Lincoln Public Schools	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(402) 436-1212	784	67	11.7	72.8%	318 (40.6%)	100 (12.8%)	230 (29.3%)	64 (8.2%)	10 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	62 (7.9%)	10.8	186^th of 200 public middle schools	7.0%		13.3	212^th of 238 public middle schools	10.9%	26	$15,853	$2,020	$11,693
School Middle School	Public	6-8	700 Penrose Drive	Lincoln	68521	Lancaster County	Lincoln Public Schools	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(402) 436-1222	926	64	14.4	48.3%	567 (61.2%)	80 (8.6%)	117 (12.6%)	54 (5.8%)	3 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	105 (11.3%)	34.6	149^th of 200 public middle schools	25.5%		36.3	171^st of 238 public middle schools	28.2%	22	$12,656	$1,067	$9,891
Irving Middle School	Public	6-8	2745 S 22nd St	Lincoln	68502	Lancaster County	Lincoln Public Schools	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(402) 436-1214	828	59	13.9	44.0%	526 (63.5%)	52 (6.3%)	121 (14.6%)	24 (2.9%)	6 (0.7%)	1 (0.1%)	98 (11.8%)	39.5	135^th of 200 public middle schools	32.5%		39.5	163^rd of 238 public middle schools	31.5%	28	$13,415	$894	$10,376

Dawes Middle School

Dawes Middle School:

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Lincoln Public Schools:

Average Parent Rating:

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Rank History for Dawes Middle School

Rank History for all students at Dawes Middle School

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Dawes Middle School

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Dawes Middle School

Rank History for Special Education students at Dawes Middle School

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Dawes Middle School

Rank History for Female students at Dawes Middle School

Rank History for Male students at Dawes Middle School

Rank History for African American students at Dawes Middle School

Rank History for Hispanic students at Dawes Middle School

Rank History for White students at Dawes Middle School

Review counts

Enrollment information for Dawes Middle School

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Dawes Middle School

Student/Teacher Ratio Dawes Middle School

Per Pupil Expenditures for Dawes Middle School

Impact of COVID-19 on Dawes Middle School

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Dawes Middle School

Frequently Asked Questions about Dawes Middle School

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