Enrollment
999
Florida · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Fort Myers, FL
Paul Laurence Dunbar Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Paul Laurence Dunbar Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 25/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 120108001128
👥 S:T ratio 18
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 12
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Paul Laurence Dunbar Middle School earns 25/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 78% of Florida schools.
- #5 of 6
- middle schools in Fort Myers · Resource Index
- 25
- Resource Index · Lower
- 20.4:1
- large classes for Florida
- 50.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Paul Laurence Dunbar Middle School has class sizes larger than 78% of Florida schools. Computed live against every Florida school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Paul Laurence Dunbar Middle School ranks #5 of 6 middle schools in Fort Myers, FL.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
49.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
20.4:1
vs 17.8:1 Florida avg
+15% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
50.5%
vs 52.0% Florida avg
-3% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Paul Laurence Dunbar Middle School compares with Florida and U.S. medians
What stands out at Paul Laurence Dunbar Middle School
Paul Laurence Dunbar Middle School is a higher-need, mid-sized middle school in Fort Myers, Florida, enrolling 999 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 20.4:1 puts it in the larger third of Florida schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 50.5% lands close to the Florida typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 999 puts it in the larger third of Florida schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 91% of the 3,996 Florida schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 793 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Florida schools statewide, it ranks #713, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (40%) and African American (31%) (diversity index 70/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 500 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 35.4% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 17.0% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 18 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Lee also operates Gateway Charter Elementary School (3,192 students) and Lehigh Senior High School (2,550 students) alongside Paul Laurence Dunbar 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 Paul Laurence Dunbar Middle School compares
Paul Laurence Dunbar Middle School on the metrics families compare, against Florida and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Florida | Florida avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 20.4:1 | ▲ 15% | 17.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 50.5% | ▼ 3% | 52.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 999 | top 19% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
20.4:1
Leaner classes than 15% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
999
Bigger than 91% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
50.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 3% below the Florida average of 52.0%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
20.4:1
students per teacher
- 15% above state mean
Top 78% in Florida - lower ratio than 22% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
35.4%
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
$10,788
per pupil, district-wide
- below Florida avg of $11,167
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 500 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
31
in-school suspensions + 102 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 3.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 13.3 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 18 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
Hispanic or Latino 40.3%
African American 31.0%
White 20.7%
Asian 4.7%
Two or More 3.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 40.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 69.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 69.5, Paul Laurence Dunbar Middle School is more mixed than the Florida school average of 52.3.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Lee, which includes Paul Laurence Dunbar Middle School.
$10,788
Per student
-3%
vs Florida
Avg $11,167
-35%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 58.0%
State 25.0%
Federal 17.0%
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 Laurence Dunbar Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gateway Charter Elementary School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Lehigh Senior High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Gateway High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Ida S. Baker High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| East Lee County High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Paul Laurence Dunbar Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 3,192
- Students per teacher
- 51.5:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
- Enrollment
- 2,550
- Students per teacher
- 23.8:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 2,343
- Students per teacher
- 31.2:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 2,191
- Students per teacher
- 27.4:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
- Enrollment
- 2,129
- Students per teacher
- 26.3:1
- Resource Index
- 17/100
Similar middle schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Florida, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~999 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Paul Laurence Dunbar Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Paul Laurence Dunbar Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Lee'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 Laurence Dunbar Middle School
How many students attend Paul Laurence Dunbar Middle School?
Paul Laurence Dunbar Middle School has 999 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Fort Myers, FL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Paul Laurence Dunbar Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Paul Laurence Dunbar Middle School is 20.4:1, which is 15% higher than the Florida average of 17.8:1 and 30% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Paul Laurence Dunbar Middle School?
50.5% of students at Paul Laurence Dunbar Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Florida average of 52.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Paul Laurence Dunbar Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Paul Laurence Dunbar Middle School is Hispanic or Latino at 40.3% of enrollment, in Fort Myers, FL. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 69.5/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Paul Laurence Dunbar Middle School?
Paul Laurence Dunbar Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 25/100 (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 Paul Laurence Dunbar Middle School rank among middle schools in Fort Myers?
By Resource Investment Index, Paul Laurence Dunbar Middle School ranks #5 of 6 middle schools in Fort Myers, FL. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all middle schools in Fort Myers on the city page.
Is Paul Laurence Dunbar Middle School a good school?
Paul Laurence Dunbar Middle School earns 25/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 78% of Florida 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 Lee?
Besides Paul Laurence Dunbar Middle School, Lee also operates Gateway Charter Elementary School (3,192 students), Lehigh Senior High School (2,550 students), and Gateway High School (2,343 students). See the Lee 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.