Enrollment
279
Georgia · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Atlanta, GA
Paul L. Dunbar Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Paul L. Dunbar Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 42/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 130012000054
👥 S:T ratio 55
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 44
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Paul L. Dunbar Elementary School earns 42/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 88% of Georgia schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Georgia schools.
- #37 of 70
- schools in Atlanta · Resource Index
- 42
- Resource Index · Typical
- 11.2:1
- small classes for Georgia
- 100.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Paul L. Dunbar Elementary School has class sizes smaller than 88% of Georgia schools. Computed live against every Georgia school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Paul L. Dunbar Elementary School ranks #37 of 70 schools in Atlanta, GA.
School address
District: Atlanta Public Schools · Georgia
NCES ID 130012000054 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
25.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
11.2:1
vs 14.4:1 Georgia avg
-22% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
100.0%
vs 60.7% Georgia avg
+65% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Paul L. Dunbar Elementary School compares with Georgia and U.S. medians
What stands out at Paul L. Dunbar Elementary School
Paul L. Dunbar Elementary School is a high-poverty, small combined-grade school in Atlanta, Georgia, enrolling 279 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 11.2:1, Paul L. Dunbar Elementary School is leaner than roughly 88% of Georgia schools and 22% under the state's 14.4:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Economic need is high: 100.0% of students qualify for free meals, 65% above the Georgia average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
This is a small campus: fewer students than 91% of Georgia schools, with 279 enrolled.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 2,314 scored Georgia schools.
Against 168 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #94.
Its student body is predominantly African American (95% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 9/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 279 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 70.6% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Atlanta Public Schools spends $22,882 per pupil, 65% above the Georgia average, a better-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 15.7% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Atlanta's public schools, it stands alongside Georgia Cyber Academy (9,952 students): Paul L. Dunbar Elementary School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (11.2:1 vs 15.2:1).
Atlanta Public Schools also operates North Atlanta High School (2,368 students) and Midtown High School (1,696 students) alongside Paul L. Dunbar Elementary 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 Paul L. Dunbar Elementary School compares
Paul L. Dunbar Elementary School on the metrics families compare, against Georgia and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Georgia | Georgia avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 11.2:1 | ▼ 22% | 14.4:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 100.0% | ▲ 65% | 60.7% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 279 | top 91% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
11.2:1
Leaner classes than 82% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
279
Bigger than 29% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
100.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 65% above the Georgia average of 60.7%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
11.2:1
students per teacher
- 22% below state mean
Top 12% in Georgia - lower ratio than 88% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
70.6%
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
$22,882
per pupil, district-wide
- above Georgia avg of $13,863
Well above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting substantially higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 279 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 12 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 4.7 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 95.3%
Hispanic or Latino 2.5%
Two or More 1.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%
Largest group: African American at 95.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 9.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 9.1, Paul L. Dunbar Elementary School is less mixed than the Georgia school average of 50.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Atlanta Public Schools, which includes Paul L. Dunbar Elementary School.
$22,882
Per student
+65%
vs Georgia
Avg $13,863
+38%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 68.7%
State 15.6%
Federal 15.7%
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 Paul L. Dunbar Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Atlanta High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Midtown High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Willis a. Sutton Middle School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Maynard Jackson High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Benjamin E. Mays High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Paul L. Dunbar Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,368
- Students per teacher
- 16.1:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 1,696
- Students per teacher
- 16.6:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 1,619
- Students per teacher
- 15.3:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 1,549
- Students per teacher
- 14.6:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 1,338
- Students per teacher
- 12.5:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
Similar other schools in Atlanta
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Georgia Cyber Academy
Standard public school
9,952 students 15.2:1 students per teacher
Doraville United Elementary School
Standard public school
1,003 students 19.7:1 students per teacher
Charles R. Drew Charter School
Standard public school
961 students 12:1 students per teacher
Charles Drew Charter Ja/Sr Academy
Standard public school
941 students 11.9:1 students per teacher
Cobb Horizon High School
Standard public school
927 students 11.3:1 students per teacher
Morris Brandon Elementary School
Standard public school
911 students 15.4:1 students per teacher
Similar other schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Georgia, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~279 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Paul L. Dunbar Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Paul L. Dunbar Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Atlanta Public Schools'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 Paul L. Dunbar Elementary School
How many students attend Paul L. Dunbar Elementary School?
Paul L. Dunbar Elementary School has 279 students enrolled. It is a public school in Atlanta, GA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Paul L. Dunbar Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Paul L. Dunbar Elementary School is 11.2:1, which is 22% lower than the Georgia average of 14.4:1 and 29% 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 Paul L. Dunbar Elementary School?
100.0% of students at Paul L. Dunbar Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Georgia average of 60.7%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Paul L. Dunbar Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Paul L. Dunbar Elementary School is African American at 95.3% of enrollment, in Atlanta, GA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Paul L. Dunbar Elementary School?
Paul L. Dunbar Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 42/100 (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 Paul L. Dunbar Elementary School rank among schools in Atlanta?
By Resource Investment Index, Paul L. Dunbar Elementary School ranks #37 of 70 schools in Atlanta, GA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Atlanta on the city page.
Is Paul L. Dunbar Elementary School a good school?
Paul L. Dunbar Elementary School earns 42/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 88% of Georgia schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Georgia 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 Atlanta Public Schools?
Besides Paul L. Dunbar Elementary School, Atlanta Public Schools also operates North Atlanta High School (2,368 students), Midtown High School (1,696 students), and Willis a. Sutton Middle School (1,619 students). See the Atlanta Public Schools 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.