Enrollment
338
Alabama · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Mobile, AL
Dunbar Creative Performing Arts
Federal NCES profile for Dunbar Creative Performing Arts, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 30/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 010237000916
👥 S:T ratio 36
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 32
📋 Attendance 24
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Dunbar Creative Performing Arts earns 30/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller than 70% of Alabama schools.
- #5 of 10
- middle schools in Mobile · Resource Index
- 30
- Resource Index · Lower
- 16.1:1
- small classes for Alabama
- 60.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Dunbar Creative Performing Arts has class sizes smaller than 70% of Alabama schools. Computed live against every Alabama school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Dunbar Creative Performing Arts ranks #5 of 10 middle schools in Mobile, AL.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
21.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.1:1
vs 17.7:1 Alabama avg
-9% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
60.3%
vs 58.8% Alabama avg
+3% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Dunbar Creative Performing Arts compares with Alabama and U.S. medians
What stands out at Dunbar Creative Performing Arts
Dunbar Creative Performing Arts is a higher-need, mid-sized middle school in Mobile, Alabama, enrolling 338 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 16.1:1 puts it in the smaller third of Alabama schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 60.3% lands close to the Alabama typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 338 puts it in the smaller third of Alabama schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,365 scored Alabama schools.
Among 338 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Alabama schools statewide, it ranks #293, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly African American (83% of enrollment) (diversity index 30/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 338 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 30.5% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 24.2% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 82 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 338 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Among Mobile's middle schools, it stands alongside Bernice J Causey Middle School (1,339 students): Dunbar Creative Performing Arts is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (16.1:1 vs 18.9:1).
Mobile County also operates Baker High School (2,271 students) and Mary G Montgomery High School (1,888 students) alongside Dunbar Creative Performing Arts.
Sourced from NCES CCD, CRDC, and F-33 (federal records, not a quality verdict). How we source and compute this.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Dunbar Creative Performing Arts compares
Dunbar Creative Performing Arts on the metrics families compare, against Alabama and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Alabama | Alabama avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 16.1:1 | ▼ 9% | 17.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 60.3% | ▲ 3% | 58.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 338 | top 76% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.1:1
Leaner classes than 37% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
338
Bigger than 38% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
60.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 3% above the Alabama average of 58.8%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
16.1:1
students per teacher
- 9% below state mean
Top 30% in Alabama - lower ratio than 70% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
30.5%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
At or above 20%, the commonly used threshold for "high" chronic absenteeism, signaling significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$12,163
per pupil, district-wide
- below Alabama avg of $12,491
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 338 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
40
in-school suspensions + 42 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 11.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 24.3 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
- Common Core of Data (June 2026): enrollment, staffing, and the student-teacher ratio above.
- Civil Rights Data Collection: discipline counts and program access (AP, gifted, special education).
- F-33 School District Finance Survey: the district-wide per-pupil spending figures below.
Three separate federal collections, each on its own reporting cadence - which is why this school's numbers line up on a consistent basis against every other school and state on this site, rather than mixing figures pulled from different survey years.
Student demographics
African American 82.8%
White 9.8%
Two or More 3.6%
Hispanic or Latino 2.4%
Asian 0.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.6%
Largest group: African American at 82.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 30.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 30.3, Dunbar Creative Performing Arts is less mixed than the Alabama school average of 42.5.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Mobile County, which includes Dunbar Creative Performing Arts.
$12,163
Per student
-3%
vs Alabama
Avg $12,491
-27%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 26.3%
State 49.5%
Federal 24.2%
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2021-22 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.
How Dunbar Creative Performing Arts Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baker High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Mary G Montgomery High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Alma Bryant High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Wp Davidson High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Bernice J Causey Middle School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Dunbar Creative Performing Arts's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,271
- Students per teacher
- 16.6:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
- Enrollment
- 1,888
- Students per teacher
- 17.3:1
- Resource Index
- 15/100
- Enrollment
- 1,624
- Students per teacher
- 17.8:1
- Resource Index
- 15/100
- Enrollment
- 1,470
- Students per teacher
- 17.5:1
- Resource Index
- 16/100
- Enrollment
- 1,339
- Students per teacher
- 18.9:1
- Resource Index
- 19/100
Similar middle schools in Mobile
6 comparable middle schools (grades 6-8) serving the same city.
Bernice J Causey Middle School
Standard public school
1,339 students 18.9:1 students per teacher
Cl Scarborough Model Middle School
Standard public school
641 students 18.9:1 students per teacher
Burns Middle School
Standard public school
568 students 13.5:1 students per teacher
Phillips Preparatory Middle School
Standard public school
453 students 12.9:1 students per teacher
Pillans Middle School
Standard public school
440 students 20:1 students per teacher
Denton Magnet School of Technology
Standard public school
334 students 18.6:1 students per teacher
Similar middle schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Alabama, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~338 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~16.1:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Dunbar Creative Performing Arts's federal record.
- Compare Dunbar Creative Performing Arts against another school. Compare schools
- Mobile County's spending and staffing shape this school. District profile
- Confirm current enrollment and boundaries with the school. Choosing guide
Federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) - PlainSchools assigns no subjective rating; the composite quality score is a transparent, reproducible index computed from this cited federal data.
Frequently asked questions about Dunbar Creative Performing Arts
How many students attend Dunbar Creative Performing Arts?
Dunbar Creative Performing Arts has 338 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Mobile, AL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Dunbar Creative Performing Arts?
The student-teacher ratio at Dunbar Creative Performing Arts is 16.1:1, which is 9% lower than the Alabama average of 17.7:1 and 3% higher than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Dunbar Creative Performing Arts?
60.3% of students at Dunbar Creative Performing Arts are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Alabama average of 58.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Dunbar Creative Performing Arts?
The largest demographic group at Dunbar Creative Performing Arts is African American at 82.8% of enrollment, in Mobile, AL.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Dunbar Creative Performing Arts?
Dunbar Creative Performing Arts has a Resource Investment Index of 30/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Dunbar Creative Performing Arts rank among middle schools in Mobile?
By Resource Investment Index, Dunbar Creative Performing Arts ranks #5 of 10 middle schools in Mobile, AL. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all middle schools in Mobile on the city page.
Is Dunbar Creative Performing Arts a good school?
Dunbar Creative Performing Arts earns 30/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller than 70% of Alabama schools. This is a resource snapshot, not an academic rating; see the Resource Investment Index question above for what the number does and doesn't measure.
What other schools are in Mobile County?
Besides Dunbar Creative Performing Arts, Mobile County also operates Baker High School (2,271 students), Mary G Montgomery High School (1,888 students), and Alma Bryant High School (1,624 students). See the Mobile County district page for the complete list.
Related tools
Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. Each school's figures reflect its most recent NCES/CRDC submission on file. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.