Enrollment
315
Arkansas · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Little Rock, AR
Dunbar Magnet Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Dunbar Magnet Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 48/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 050900000608
👥 S:T ratio 55
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 69
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Dunbar Magnet Middle School earns 48/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 71% of Arkansas schools.
- #5 of 10
- middle schools in Little Rock · Resource Index
- 48
- Resource Index · Typical
- 11.3:1
- small classes for Arkansas
- 83.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Dunbar Magnet Middle School has class sizes smaller than 71% of Arkansas schools. Computed live against every Arkansas school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Dunbar Magnet Middle School ranks #5 of 10 middle schools in Little Rock, AR.
School address
District: Little Rock School District · Arkansas
NCES ID 050900000608 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
28.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
11.3:1
vs 13.6:1 Arkansas avg
-17% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
83.4%
vs 59.2% Arkansas avg
+41% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Dunbar Magnet Middle School compares with Arkansas and U.S. medians
What stands out at Dunbar Magnet Middle School
Dunbar Magnet Middle School is a high-poverty, mid-sized middle school in Little Rock, Arkansas, enrolling 315 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 11.3:1 puts it in the smaller third of Arkansas schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 83.4% of students eligible for free meals.
With 315 students, its enrollment sits close to the Arkansas median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,066 scored Arkansas schools.
Against 30 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #5.
Its student body is predominantly African American (85% of enrollment) (diversity index 26/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 158 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 92.4% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 20.7% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 126 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 315 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 4 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Little Rock School District also operates Central High School (2,371 students) and Little Rock Southwest High School (2,045 students) alongside Dunbar Magnet Middle School.
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 Magnet Middle School compares
Dunbar Magnet Middle School on the metrics families compare, against Arkansas and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Arkansas | Arkansas avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 11.3:1 | ▼ 17% | 13.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 83.4% | ▲ 41% | 59.2% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 315 | top 65% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
11.3:1
Leaner classes than 81% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
315
Bigger than 34% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
83.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 41% above the Arkansas average of 59.2%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
11.3:1
students per teacher
- 17% below state mean
Top 29% in Arkansas - lower ratio than 71% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
92.4%
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
$14,597
per pupil, district-wide
- above Arkansas avg of $12,251
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 158 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
26
in-school suspensions + 100 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 8.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 40.0 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 4 expulsions.
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 85.4%
Hispanic or Latino 10.2%
White 3.2%
Two or More 1.0%
Asian 0.3%
Largest group: African American at 85.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 25.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 25.9, Dunbar Magnet Middle School is less mixed than the Arkansas school average of 40.4.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Little Rock School District, which includes Dunbar Magnet Middle School.
$14,597
Per student
+19%
vs Arkansas
Avg $12,251
-12%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 52.7%
State 26.7%
Federal 20.7%
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 Magnet Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Central High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Little Rock Southwest High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Parkview Magnet High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Don Roberts Elementary School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Chicot Elementary School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Dunbar Magnet Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,371
- Students per teacher
- 14.7:1
- Resource Index
- 53/100
- Enrollment
- 2,045
- Students per teacher
- 13.3:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 1,072
- Students per teacher
- 13.2:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 1,035
- Students per teacher
- 19.9:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 897
- Students per teacher
- 19.9:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
Similar middle schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Arkansas, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~315 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~11.3:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Dunbar Magnet Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Dunbar Magnet Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Little Rock School District'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 Magnet Middle School
How many students attend Dunbar Magnet Middle School?
Dunbar Magnet Middle School has 315 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Little Rock, AR.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Dunbar Magnet Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Dunbar Magnet Middle School is 11.3:1, which is 17% lower than the Arkansas average of 13.6:1 and 28% lower 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 Magnet Middle School?
83.4% of students at Dunbar Magnet Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Arkansas average of 59.2%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Dunbar Magnet Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Dunbar Magnet Middle School is African American at 85.4% of enrollment, in Little Rock, AR.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Dunbar Magnet Middle School?
Dunbar Magnet Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 48/100 (typical 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 Magnet Middle School rank among middle schools in Little Rock?
By Resource Investment Index, Dunbar Magnet Middle School ranks #5 of 10 middle schools in Little Rock, AR. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all middle schools in Little Rock on the city page.
Is Dunbar Magnet Middle School a good school?
Dunbar Magnet Middle School earns 48/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 71% of Arkansas 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 Little Rock School District?
Besides Dunbar Magnet Middle School, Little Rock School District also operates Central High School (2,371 students), Little Rock Southwest High School (2,045 students), and Parkview Magnet High School (1,072 students). See the Little Rock School District 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.