Dodson Elementary School

Summary:

Dodson Elementary School is a public elementary school in Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania, serving 486 students in grades K-5. The school is part of the Wilkes-Barre Area School District, which is ranked 460 out of 606 districts in the state and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Dodson Elementary stands out for its high percentage of Hispanic students (67.28%), significantly more than the 15-55% range at nearby schools like Solomon/Plains Elementary, Daniel J Flood Elementary, and Heights/Murray Elementary. However, the school consistently underperforms the state and district averages on PSSA tests, with only 22.3% of students proficient in Math compared to the 39.3% state average. Dodson's African American students perform relatively well, but its Hispanic and English Language Learner students lag behind.

Despite having over 99% of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating high economic disadvantage, Dodson Elementary's per-student spending has increased in recent years. Yet this additional funding has not translated to improved academic outcomes. In fact, the school's statewide ranking has steadily declined over the past decade, suggesting the need for a comprehensive review of resources, instructional practices, and support systems to address the unique needs of its student population and drive meaningful improvements.


Detail:

Public K-5

 13 Hillard St
       Wilkes Barre, PA  18702


(570) 235-6894

District: Wilkes-Barre Area School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
1235th of 1,534 Pennsylvania Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $15,925 Help


Students who attend Dodson Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:    G A R Middle School

Student/teacher ratio:  18.7 Help
Number of students:  486

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:
67.3%
African American:
14.2%
White:
13.0%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  100% Help


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Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details Dodson Elementary School ranks worse than 80.5% of elementary schools in Pennsylvania. It also ranks 3rd among 5 ranked elementary schools in the Wilkes-Barre Area School District. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2023 the calculated Average Standard Score was 19.44. (See more...)
Student Body
Help
Compare Details Dodson Elementary School has the smallest elementary school student body size in the Wilkes-Barre Area School District. Student population at Dodson Elementary School is diverse. Racial makeup is: Hispanic (67.3%), African American (14.2%), White (13%). (See more...)
Help
Compare Details 100% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. This is the lowest percentage in the Wilkes-Barre Area School District. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Dodson Elementary School is 18.7. 3 elementary schools in the Wilkes-Barre Area School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)
Help
Compare Dodson Elementary School employs 25.8 full-time teachers.
Finance
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Compare Details The average total spent per student at Dodson Elementary School is $15,925, which is the highest among 5 elementary schools in the Wilkes-Barre Area School District!
Schooldigger 2023 Rankings:

Dodson Elementary School:

SchoolDigger ranks Dodson Elementary School 1235th of 1534 Pennsylvania public elementary schools. (See Dodson Elementary School in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


English Language Learner students:
Low Socio Economic Status students:
African American students:
Hispanic students:


Wilkes-Barre Area School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Wilkes-Barre Area School District 460th of 606 Pennsylvania school districts. (See district ranking list.)


What do you think?

Your rating for Dodson Elementary School?

Rank History for Dodson Elementary School

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Compare

Rank History for all students at Dodson Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools PA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2003 81.02 235th 1302 82.0%
2004 82.69 195th 1308 85.1%
2005 85.83 67th 1299 94.8%
2006 47.31 1023rd 1545 33.8%
2007 32.68 1226th 1555 21.2%
2008 32.73 1239th 1551 20.1%
2009 36.68 1196th 1549 22.8%
2010 10.75 1465th 1579 7.2%
2011 14.00 1445th 1597 9.5%
2012 15.21 1403rd 1599 12.3%
2013 12.23 1335th 1519 12.1%
2014 9.46 1315th 1467 10.4%
2015 11.28 1289th 1474 12.6%
2016 7.15 1420th 1554 8.6%
2017 7.74 1395th 1547 9.8%
2018 8.99 1371st 1530 10.4%
2019 12.64 1329th 1544 13.9%
2021 7.67 1292nd 1433 9.8%
2022 5.62 1451st 1534 5.4%
2023 19.44 1235th 1534 19.5%
See the entire list of Pennsylvania Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Dodson Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools PA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 27.52 153rd 196 21.9%
See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania Elementary Schools for English Language Learner Students!

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

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools PA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 32.39 1035th 1414 26.8%
See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for African American students at Dodson Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools PA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 78.30 60th 437 86.3%
See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania Elementary Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Dodson Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools PA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 36.51 281st 432 35.0%
See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania Elementary Schools for Hispanic Students!

Data source: test scores: Pennsylvania Dept 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.

Dodson Elementary School Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 






Data source: Pennsylvania Dept of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 1)
0%

0%

0%

0%

100%

  

Reviews:
by a parent
Thursday, February 10, 2011

Open Quote I was in this school as a member of the public, and found the school to be extremely unsafe. There were boxes full of papers stacked up in front of heaters, no fire extinguishers were visible, and no AEDs were anywhere in site. There was no sprinkler system to activate if there were to be a fire. This school needs to be brought up to code so we do not have a disaster occur, and risk the children being in danger. Close Quote



Enrollment information for Dodson Elementary School

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Compare
Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1988 493 27 1 1 0 n/a n/a 0 522
1989 492 34 4 0 0 n/a n/a 0 530
1990 506 33 3 1 0 n/a n/a 0 543
1991 512 26 4 0 0 n/a n/a 0 542
1992 492 36 6 1 0 n/a n/a 0 535
1993 500 27 4 2 0 n/a n/a 0 533
1994 485 33 2 1 0 n/a n/a 0 521
1995 439 50 10 0 0 n/a n/a 0 499
1996 439 50 10 0 0 n/a n/a 0 499
1997 444 46 8 1 0 n/a n/a 0 499
1998 419 53 10 4 0 n/a n/a 0 486
1999 383 66 8 4 0 n/a n/a 0 461
2000 384 50 9 2 0 n/a n/a 0 445
2001 339 68 7 12 0 n/a n/a 0 426
2002 328 75 7 18 0 n/a n/a 0 428
2003 328 75 7 18 0 n/a n/a 0 428
2004 296 88 4 28 0 n/a n/a 0 416
2005 276 115 7 39 1 n/a n/a 0 438
2006 259 138 1 59 0 n/a n/a 0 457
2007 242 151 1 65 0 n/a n/a 0 459
2008 209 146 1 83 0 n/a n/a 0 439
2009 199 143 3 94 1 n/a n/a 10 450
2010 212 138 4 116 1 n/a n/a 20 491
2011 207 120 5 128 1 0 4 0 465
2012 179 128 5 148 1 0 20 0 481
2013 171 106 7 198 1 0 20 0 503
2014 143 119 6 200 1 2 34 0 505
2015 146 128 8 215 1 1 39 0 538
2016 141 111 8 235 0 0 42 0 537
2017 148 102 9 261 0 0 42 0 562
2018 132 108 11 276 0 0 42 0 569
2019 119 113 13 302 1 0 37 0 585
2020 105 106 12 306 1 0 38 0 568
2021 74 100 12 298 0 0 38 0 522
2022 55 68 5 271 1 0 31 0 431
2023 63 69 2 327 1 0 24 0 486

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 Dodson Elementary School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 522 24.7 21.1 n/a
1989 530 25.6 20.7 n/a
1990 543 26.6 20.4 0
1991 542 26.8 20.2 n/a
1992 535 28.0 19.1 n/a
1993 533 24.0 22.2 n/a
1994 521 23.0 22.7 n/a
1995 499 27.0 18.5 n/a
1996 499 27.0 18.5 n/a
1997 499 27.0 18.5 n/a
1998 486 28.0 17.4 n/a
1999 461 26.0 17.7 n/a
2000 445 26.0 17.1 48.8
2001 426 28.0 15.2 46.9
2002 428 27.0 15.9 55.1
2003 428 27.0 15.9 55.1
2004 416 27.0 15.4 49.8
2005 438 26.4 16.6 53.9
2006 457 26.7 17.1 73.1
2007 459 27.5 16.7 77.3
2008 439 66.0 6.7 74
2009 450 34.1 13.2 80.5
2010 491 37.0 13.2 86.6
2011 465 37.4 12.4 85.8
2012 481 38.2 12.5 86.5
2013 503 37.3 13.4 88.7
2014 505 36.2 13.9 86.5
2015 538 34.0 15.8 99.4
2016 537 35.0 15.3 100
2017 562 34.3 16.3 100
2018 569 34.3 16.5 99.8
2019 585 36.6 15.9 100
2020 568 34.2 16.6 100
2021 522 33.2 15.7 99.4
2022 431 24.2 17.7 99.3
2023 486 25.8 18.7 100

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 Dodson Elementary School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 522 24.7 21.1 n/a
1989 530 25.6 20.7 n/a
1990 543 26.6 20.4 0
1991 542 26.8 20.2 n/a
1992 535 28.0 19.1 n/a
1993 533 24.0 22.2 n/a
1994 521 23.0 22.7 n/a
1995 499 27.0 18.5 n/a
1996 499 27.0 18.5 n/a
1997 499 27.0 18.5 n/a
1998 486 28.0 17.4 n/a
1999 461 26.0 17.7 n/a
2000 445 26.0 17.1 48.8
2001 426 28.0 15.2 46.9
2002 428 27.0 15.9 55.1
2003 428 27.0 15.9 55.1
2004 416 27.0 15.4 49.8
2005 438 26.4 16.6 53.9
2006 457 26.7 17.1 73.1
2007 459 27.5 16.7 77.3
2008 439 66.0 6.7 74
2009 450 34.1 13.2 80.5
2010 491 37.0 13.2 86.6
2011 465 37.4 12.4 85.8
2012 481 38.2 12.5 86.5
2013 503 37.3 13.4 88.7
2014 505 36.2 13.9 86.5
2015 538 34.0 15.8 99.4
2016 537 35.0 15.3 100
2017 562 34.3 16.3 100
2018 569 34.3 16.5 99.8
2019 585 36.6 15.9 100
2020 568 34.2 16.6 100
2021 522 33.2 15.7 99.4
2022 431 24.2 17.7 99.3
2023 486 25.8 18.7 100

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 Dodson Elementary School

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YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $1,190 (10.3%) $10,343 (89.7%) $11,533
2020 $854 (6.9%) $11,562 (93.1%) $12,416
2021 $1,561 (11.5%) $12,012 (88.5%) $13,574
2022 $5,504 (34.6%) $10,421 (65.4%) $15,925

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

Impact of COVID-19 on Dodson Elementary 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 1329th of 1544 Elementary schoolsRanks 1235th of 1534 Elementary schools
 5.6%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
3rd Grade Math (Dodson Elementary School)40.639
 1.6%
   3rd Grade Math (Pennsylvania)5651.7
 4.3%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Dodson Elementary School)40.345.5
 5.2%
   3rd Grade English Language Arts (Pennsylvania)61.954
 7.9%
4th Grade Math (Dodson Elementary School)16.613
 3.6%
   4th Grade Math (Pennsylvania)46.246.5
 0.3%
4th Grade Science (Dodson Elementary School)56.663
 6.4%
   4th Grade Science (Pennsylvania)77.874.1
 3.7%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Dodson Elementary School)31.515.4
 16.1%
   4th Grade English Language Arts (Pennsylvania)63.651.8
 11.8%
5th Grade Math (Dodson Elementary School)16.18.8
 7.3%
   5th Grade Math (Pennsylvania)4342.7
 0.3%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Dodson Elementary School)3112.5
 18.5%
   5th Grade English Language Arts (Pennsylvania)58.553.6
 4.9%
All Grades Math (Dodson Elementary School)18.622.3
 3.7%
   All Grades Math (Pennsylvania)42.439.3
 3.1%
All Grades Science (Dodson Elementary School)56.663
 6.4%
   All Grades Science (Pennsylvania)6865.6
 2.4%
All Grades English Language Arts (Dodson Elementary School)34.827
 7.8%
   All Grades English Language Arts (Pennsylvania)60.953.8
 7.1%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students585486
 16.9%
African American11369
 38.9%
American Indian11
Asian132
 84.6%
Hispanic302327
 8.3%
Pacific Islander00
White11963
 47.1%
Two or More Races3724
 35.1%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients100%100%


Schools Near Dodson Elementary School









Frequently Asked Questions about Dodson Elementary School

In the 2022-23 school year, 486 students attended Dodson Elementary School.

Students who attend Dodson Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : G A R Middle School

Students at Dodson Elementary School are 67% Hispanic, 14% African American, 13% White, 5% Two or more races.

Dodson Elementary School ranks in the bottom 19.5% of Pennsylvania elementary 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 Pennsylvania 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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