Grace A Dunn Middle School

Summary:

Dunn Middle School is a public middle school in Trenton, New Jersey, serving 670 students in grades 7-8. The school is part of the Trenton Public School District, which is ranked 612 out of 615 school districts in the state and has a 0-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Dunn Middle School faces significant challenges, including a student population that is 84.78% Hispanic, significantly higher than the surrounding schools, which range from 22.03% to 81.59% Hispanic students. Academically, the school consistently ranks in the bottom 10% of New Jersey middle schools, with proficiency rates ranging from just 0.7% to 21.7% across different subject areas and grade levels. The school also experiences high rates of chronic absenteeism, ranging from 16.5% to 68.2%, much higher than state and district averages. Additionally, 60% of Dunn Middle School students receive free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a high level of economic disadvantage.

These issues appear to be systemic within the Trenton Public School District, as nearby schools like Jefferson Elementary, Holland Middle School, and Dr. Martin Luther King Middle School also struggle with low academic performance and high rates of chronic absenteeism. Despite Dunn Middle School's relatively low student-teacher ratio and higher-than-average spending per student, the school's academic outcomes remain poor, suggesting that a comprehensive, district-wide approach is needed to address the underlying factors contributing to the schools' underperformance.


Detail:

Public 7-8

 401 Dayton Street
       Trenton, NJ  08610


(609) 656-4700

District: Trenton Public School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
726th of 748 New Jersey Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $10,513 Help


Students who attend Grace A Dunn Middle School usually attend:

High:    Trenton Central High School - Main Campus

Feeder schools for Grace A Dunn Middle School:

Elementary:    Franklin Elementary School
    George Washington Elementary School
    Gershom Mott Elementary School
    William Harrison Elementary School

Student/teacher ratio:  12.6 Help
Number of students:  670

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:
84.8%
African American:
13.0%
White:
1.3%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  60% Help


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 Compare Grace A Dunn Middle School to nearby middle schools!

Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details Grace A Dunn Middle School ranks worse than 97.1% of middle schools in New Jersey. (See more...)
Help
Compare Details In 2023 the calculated Average Standard Score was 8.53. (See more...)
Help
Chronic absenteeism in a high 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
Help
Compare Details Grace A Dunn Middle School has the largest middle school student body size in the Trenton Public School District. Racial makeup is: Hispanic (84.8%), African American (13%), White (1.3%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 60% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Grace A Dunn Middle School is 12.6, which is the 2nd best among 1 middle schools in the Trenton Public School District. (See more...)
Help
Compare Grace A Dunn Middle School employs 53 full-time teachers.
Finance
Help
Compare Details The average total spent per student at Grace A Dunn Middle School is $10,513. 2 middle schools in the Trenton Public School District spend more per student.
Schooldigger 2023 Rankings:

Grace A Dunn Middle School:

SchoolDigger ranks Grace A Dunn Middle School 726th of 748 New Jersey public middle schools. (See Grace A Dunn Middle School in the ranking list.)

Middle 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:


Trenton Public School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Trenton Public School District 612th of 615 New Jersey school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Rank History for Grace A Dunn Middle School

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Rank History for all students at Grace A Dunn Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools NJ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2003 1.34 560th 574 2.4%
2004 0.87 582nd 588 1.0%
2005 1.90 573rd 599 4.3%
2006 2.53 585th 615 4.9%
2007 1.28 621st 631 1.6%
2008 2.20 624th 640 2.5%
2009 2.98 636th 664 4.2%
2010 5.05 639th 677 5.6%
2011 3.02 655th 684 4.2%
2012 4.14 642nd 677 5.2%
2013 3.24 672nd 704 4.5%
2014 2.25 686th 717 4.3%
2015 6.65 684th 713 4.1%
2016 5.23 698th 713 2.1%
2017 5.76 687th 712 3.5%
2018 5.92 692nd 716 3.4%
2019 4.82 731st 745 1.9%
2021 8.61 630th 652 3.4%
2022 8.57 733rd 745 1.6%
2023 8.53 726th 748 2.9%
See the entire list of New Jersey Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Grace A Dunn Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools NJ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 20.31 175th 202 13.4%
2019 18.05 206th 227 9.3%
2021 26.84 169th 197 14.2%
2022 19.62 257th 270 4.8%
2023 21.46 260th 288 9.7%
See the entire list of Best New Jersey Middle Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at Grace A Dunn Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools NJ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 18.73 430th 471 8.7%
2019 18.38 444th 492 9.8%
2022 20.61 487th 535 9.0%
2023 19.85 461st 505 8.7%
See the entire list of Best New Jersey Middle Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Grace A Dunn Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools NJ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 12.39 456th 522 12.6%
2019 9.59 484th 541 10.5%
2021 16.33 392nd 467 16.1%
2022 14.70 478th 549 12.9%
2023 15.74 485th 568 14.6%
See the entire list of Best New Jersey Middle Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Grace A Dunn Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools NJ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 5.95 656th 680 3.5%
2019 4.00 693rd 703 1.4%
2021 9.44 604th 625 3.4%
2022 8.56 710th 726 2.2%
2023 8.71 697th 720 3.2%
See the entire list of Best New Jersey Middle Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at Grace A Dunn Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools NJ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 6.67 652nd 675 3.4%
2019 7.15 674th 697 3.3%
2021 9.83 606th 635 4.6%
2022 9.97 697th 730 4.5%
2023 10.06 683rd 718 4.9%
See the entire list of Best New Jersey Middle Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for African American students at Grace A Dunn Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools NJ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 16.11 283rd 326 13.2%
2019 12.24 317th 326 2.8%
2021 23.99 250th 291 14.1%
2022 15.86 343rd 356 3.7%
2023 19.26 330th 361 8.6%
See the entire list of Best New Jersey Middle Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Grace A Dunn Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools NJ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 9.89 478th 504 5.2%
2019 7.63 507th 524 3.2%
2021 13.31 464th 480 3.3%
2022 11.68 567th 591 4.1%
2023 12.91 555th 587 5.5%
See the entire list of Best New Jersey Middle Schools for Hispanic Students!

Data source: test scores: New Jersey 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.

Grace A Dunn Middle School Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
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Data source: New Jersey Department of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 1)
0%

0%

0%

0%

100%

  

Reviews:
No reviews have been submitted!


Enrollment information for Grace A Dunn Middle School

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Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1988 254 169 5 288 4 n/a n/a 0 720
1989 238 154 4 255 0 n/a n/a 0 651
1990 168 173 9 309 0 n/a n/a 0 659
1991 97 137 7 222 0 n/a n/a 0 463
1992 111 157 4 208 0 n/a n/a 0 480
1993 98 180 4 205 0 n/a n/a 0 487
1994 148 204 11 332 0 n/a n/a 0 695
1995 137 206 14 348 0 n/a n/a 0 705
1996 137 206 14 348 0 n/a n/a 0 705
1998 113 218 10 366 0 n/a n/a 0 707
1999 118 198 8 380 1 n/a n/a 0 705
2000 91 195 7 387 1 n/a n/a 0 681
2001 102 211 8 389 4 n/a n/a 0 714
2002 76 270 12 436 1 n/a n/a 0 795
2003 76 270 12 436 1 n/a n/a 0 795
2004 68 282 12 487 1 n/a n/a 0 850
2005 47 247 7 457 1 n/a n/a 0 759
2006 42 249 7 398 0 n/a n/a 0 696
2007 41 233 7 404 1 n/a n/a 0 686
2008 35 196 15 343 1 n/a n/a 0 590
2009 34 167 22 379 1 0 0 0 603
2010 30 173 28 365 3 0 0 0 599
2011 18 134 16 274 3 0 0 0 445
2012 7 79 5 177 1 0 0 0 269
2013 37 257 17 569 0 0 0 0 880
2014 30 263 14 591 0 0 3 0 901
2015 23 276 7 649 0 0 1 0 956
2016 19 266 4 681 0 0 1 0 971
2017 19 216 4 715 0 0 2 0 956
2018 16 243 5 639 0 0 6 0 909
2019 22 242 4 621 0 1 3 0 893
2020 16 148 4 737 0 0 4 0 909
2021 14 154 4 752 1 0 4 0 929
2022 10 140 3 762 0 1 5 0 921
2023 9 87 3 568 0 0 3 0 670

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 Grace A Dunn Middle School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 720 67.0 10.7 n/a
1989 651 66.0 9.8 n/a
1990 659 67.0 9.8 47.6
1991 463 51.0 9.0 70.2
1992 480 50.0 9.6 68.8
1993 487 47.0 10.4 61.2
1994 695 64.0 10.9 53.8
1995 705 61.0 11.6 67.5
1996 705 61.0 11.6 67.5
1998 707 57.0 12.4 63.9
1999 705 56.0 12.6 72.5
2000 681 53.0 12.8 80.2
2001 714 53.3 13.4 76.3
2002 795 68.0 11.7 73.5
2003 795 68.0 11.7 73.5
2004 850 69.0 12.3 66.9
2005 759 66.0 11.5 n/a
2006 696 64.0 10.9 69.8
2007 686 61.0 11.2 75.9
2008 590 44.0 13.4 54.6
2009 603 56.6 8.9 77.3
2010 599 39.0 15.3 79.8
2011 445 41.5 10.7 91.2
2012 269 57.0 4.7 79.9
2013 880 66.0 13.3 92.5
2014 901 79.0 11.4 92.1
2015 956 74.0 12.9 92.2
2016 971 67.0 14.4 90.9
2017 956 73.0 13.0 90
2018 909 70.0 12.9 86.8
2019 893 64.0 13.9 80.2
2020 909 70.0 12.9 78
2021 929 70.0 13.2 54.9
2022 921 70.0 13.1 37.7
2023 670 53.0 12.6 60

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 Grace A Dunn Middle School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 720 67.0 10.7 n/a
1989 651 66.0 9.8 n/a
1990 659 67.0 9.8 47.6
1991 463 51.0 9.0 70.2
1992 480 50.0 9.6 68.8
1993 487 47.0 10.4 61.2
1994 695 64.0 10.9 53.8
1995 705 61.0 11.6 67.5
1996 705 61.0 11.6 67.5
1998 707 57.0 12.4 63.9
1999 705 56.0 12.6 72.5
2000 681 53.0 12.8 80.2
2001 714 53.3 13.4 76.3
2002 795 68.0 11.7 73.5
2003 795 68.0 11.7 73.5
2004 850 69.0 12.3 66.9
2005 759 66.0 11.5 n/a
2006 696 64.0 10.9 69.8
2007 686 61.0 11.2 75.9
2008 590 44.0 13.4 54.6
2009 603 56.6 8.9 77.3
2010 599 39.0 15.3 79.8
2011 445 41.5 10.7 91.2
2012 269 57.0 4.7 79.9
2013 880 66.0 13.3 92.5
2014 901 79.0 11.4 92.1
2015 956 74.0 12.9 92.2
2016 971 67.0 14.4 90.9
2017 956 73.0 13.0 90
2018 909 70.0 12.9 86.8
2019 893 64.0 13.9 80.2
2020 909 70.0 12.9 78
2021 929 70.0 13.2 54.9
2022 921 70.0 13.1 37.7
2023 670 53.0 12.6 60

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 Grace A Dunn Middle School

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YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $799 (7.6%) $9,714 (92.4%) $10,513

Data source: New Jersey Department of Education
Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Grace A Dunn 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 731st of 745 Middle schoolsRanks 726th of 748 Middle schools
 1.1%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
6th Grade English Language Arts (Grace A Dunn Middle School)17.310
 7.3%
   6th Grade English Language Arts (Trenton Public School District)15.37.4
 7.9%
   6th Grade English Language Arts (New Jersey)56.147.6
 8.5%
6th Grade Mathematics (Grace A Dunn Middle School)2.22.9
 0.7%
   6th Grade Mathematics (Trenton Public School District)5.73.4
 2.3%
   6th Grade Mathematics (New Jersey)40.631.3
 9.3%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Grace A Dunn Middle School)25.412.7
 12.7%
   7th Grade English Language Arts (Trenton Public School District)22.511.6
 10.9%
   7th Grade English Language Arts (New Jersey)62.855.7
 7.1%
7th Grade Mathematics (Grace A Dunn Middle School)5.65.8
 0.2%
   7th Grade Mathematics (Trenton Public School District)6.44.6
 1.8%
   7th Grade Mathematics (New Jersey)42.133.8
 8.3%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Grace A Dunn Middle School)20.718.5
 2.2%
   8th Grade English Language Arts (Trenton Public School District)24.417
 7.4%
   8th Grade English Language Arts (New Jersey)62.955.3
 7.6%
8th Grade Mathematics (Grace A Dunn Middle School)0.80.7
 0.1%
   8th Grade Mathematics (Trenton Public School District)4.40.8
 3.6%
   8th Grade Mathematics (New Jersey)29.317.8
 11.5%
8th Grade Algebra I (Grace A Dunn Middle School)27.921.7
 6.2%
   8th Grade Algebra I (Trenton Public School District)37.521
 16.5%
   8th Grade Algebra I (New Jersey)75.166
 9.1%
End of Course Algebra I (Grace A Dunn Middle School)27.921.7
 6.2%
   End of Course Algebra I (Trenton Public School District)5.36.1
 0.8%
   End of Course Algebra I (New Jersey)43.335.1
 8.2%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students893670
 25%
African American24287
 64%
American Indian00
Asian43
 25%
Hispanic621568
 8.5%
Pacific Islander10
 100%
White229
 59.1%
Two or More Races33
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients80.2%60%
 20.2%


Schools Near Grace A Dunn Middle School









Frequently Asked Questions about Grace A Dunn Middle School

Students who attend Grace A Dunn Middle School usually go on to attend Trenton Central High School - Main Campus

In the 2022-23 school year, 670 students attended Grace A Dunn Middle School.

Students at Grace A Dunn Middle School are 85% Hispanic, 13% African American, 1% White.

Grace A Dunn Middle School ranks in the bottom 2.9% of New Jersey middle schools.


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