Beta You're viewing our redesigned school page. Prefer the classic layout?

Dunbar Paul L School

Public Grades PK, KG-8

1329^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,511 Pennsylvania Elementary Schools

Better than 12% of Pennsylvania elementary schools

Summary

Dunbar Paul L School is an elementary school in Philadelphia, PA that serves grades PK-8 and has 229 students. The school is part of the Philadelphia City School District, which is ranked 473 out of 606 districts in Pennsylvania and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger. Dunbar Paul L School has consistently ranked in the bottom 10-15% of Pennsylvania elementary schools over the past decade, with a current ranking of 1329 out of 1511 schools.

Dunbar Paul L School significantly underperforms compared to the district and state on standardized tests, with only 9% of students proficient or better in PSSA Math and 21.6% proficient or better in PSSA English Language Arts, compared to 25% and 33.4% for the district, and 41.7% and 48.5% for the state, respectively. The school's performance is particularly low for certain student subgroups, such as male students and low socioeconomic status students, though it performs better for African American students. Dunbar Paul L School also has had relatively high dropout rates in recent years, ranging from 0.0% to 5.5%, compared to the district average of around 1.4%.

While Dunbar Paul L School spends significantly more per student ($26,131 in 2022-2023) compared to nearby schools, this higher spending does not appear to translate into better academic outcomes. The nearby Duckrey Tanner School, Meade Gen George C School, and Ludlow James R School also perform poorly on standardized tests and have low rankings, suggesting that the challenges facing Dunbar Paul L School are not unique, but rather indicative of broader systemic issues within the Philadelphia City School District. The charter schools analyzed, such as Alliance for Progress Charter School, People for People Charter School, and KIPP Philadelphia Charter School, generally outperform the traditional public schools in the area on academic measures, highlighting the potential for alternative educational models to better serve students in this community.

224

Students ?

9.8

Student/teacher ratio ?

$28,265

Per pupil spending ?

102.2%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1750 N 12th St
Philadelphia, PA 19122-2513

(215) 400-7410

District: Philadelphia City School District

Students who attend Dunbar Paul L School usually attend:

High:

Franklin Benjamin High School

Racial breakdown:

African American:

81.3%

Hispanic:

11.2%

White:

4.9%

See top rated Pennsylvania elementary schools

Compare Dunbar Paul L School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 4th percentile in 2014 → 12th in 2025

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 8 percentile points since 2014

✓Small classes — about 10 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Pennsylvania average (15% vs 45% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (12th percentile)

!Math scores 33 pts below the Pennsylvania average

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school15%

District avg29%

Pennsylvania avg45%

Elementary school

1,329^th of 1,511

Pennsylvania public elementary schools ?

Bottom 12%▲ up 6 pts since 2015

From bottom 6% (2015) to bottom 12% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Pennsylvania Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

Middle school

729^th of 873

Pennsylvania public middle schools ?

Bottom 16%▲ up 9 pts since 2015

From bottom 8% (2015) to bottom 16% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Pennsylvania Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

81^st of 148Elementary Schools in the Philadelphia City School District

473^rd of 606Philadelphia City School District among Pennsylvania districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Elementary school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Pennsylvania percentile	Rating
2025	11.5	1329 of 1511	12.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	11.6	1336 of 1526	12.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	5.6	1456 of 1534	5.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	6.2	1441 of 1534	6.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	6.4	1420 of 1544	8.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	9.2	1367 of 1530	10.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	7.4	1402 of 1547	9.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2016	2.5	1530 of 1554	1.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2015	5.5	1381 of 1474	6.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2014	1.9	1414 of 1467	3.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2013	6.8	1390 of 1519	8.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2012	8.1	1477 of 1599	7.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2011	13.6	1448 of 1597	9.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2010	0.4	1576 of 1579	0.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2009	0.1	1547 of 1549	0.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2008	0.2	1550 of 1551	0.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2007	0.4	1552 of 1555	0.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2006	1.1	1527 of 1545	1.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2005	0.4	1293 of 1299	0.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2004	5.4	1207 of 1308	7.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2003	5.3	1205 of 1302	7.5%	☆☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Pennsylvania percentile	Rating
2025	35.6	257 of 413	37.8%	★★☆☆☆
2024	44.6	223 of 437	49.0%	★★☆☆☆
2023	25.9	342 of 437	21.7%	★☆☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Pennsylvania percentile	Rating
2023	19.2	891 of 1043	14.6%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Pennsylvania percentile	Rating
2025	26.4	1093 of 1466	25.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	17.6	1227 of 1488	17.5%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Pennsylvania percentile	Rating
2025	16.0	1203 of 1369	12.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	16.5	1235 of 1432	13.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	8.0	1346 of 1414	4.8%	☆☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Pennsylvania percentile	Rating
2025	9.8	1334 of 1475	9.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	8.8	1367 of 1495	8.6%	☆☆☆☆☆

Middle school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Pennsylvania percentile	Rating
2025	14.6	729 of 873	16.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	17.0	723 of 891	18.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	9.4	807 of 893	9.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	8.8	813 of 883	7.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	23.5	661 of 891	25.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	16.5	700 of 861	18.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	7.0	801 of 877	8.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2016	6.5	803 of 870	7.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2015	6.5	770 of 835	7.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2014	6.8	658 of 728	9.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2013	4.7	697 of 758	8.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2012	3.7	804 of 834	3.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2011	1.3	818 of 825	0.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2010	5.1	771 of 805	4.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2009	0.9	766 of 770	0.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2008	0.9	750 of 753	0.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2007	1.5	741 of 749	1.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2006	3.5	708 of 736	3.8%	☆☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Pennsylvania percentile	Rating
2025	34.1	249 of 393	36.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	40.2	222 of 408	45.6%	★★☆☆☆
2023	29.1	306 of 421	27.3%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Pennsylvania percentile	Rating
2024	19.6	672 of 860	21.9%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Pennsylvania percentile	Rating
2025	22.1	677 of 843	19.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	19.4	719 of 877	18.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	13.4	775 of 874	11.3%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Pennsylvania percentile	Rating
2025	11.5	750 of 839	10.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	17.1	703 of 870	19.2%	★☆☆☆☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

Elementary school

African American (2025)38th percentile+26 vs school

Female (2025)25th percentile+13 vs school

Disabled (2023)15th percentile+9 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)12th percentile~ school

Male (2025)10th percentile~ school

Middle school

African American (2025)37th percentile+20 vs school

Female (2024)22nd percentile+3 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)20th percentile+3 vs school

Male (2025)11th percentile-6 vs school

By subject vs Pennsylvania (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts22%-27 vs state

Math9%-33 vs state

★

No ratings yet

Be the first to rate Dunbar Paul L School and help other families decide.

Rate Dunbar Paul L School

Have first-hand experience? A quick rating - and a sentence or two about what stands out (teachers, academics, safety, communication) - helps other families know what to expect.

Takes about a minute. We email you a link to verify your review - your address is never shown publicly.

Tap a star to rate

Reviews

No written reviews yet. If you know this school, be the first to share what stands out.

Schools Near Dunbar Paul L School

Load more schools when map is moved

Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				PSSA Math (2025)							PSSA English Language Arts (2025)							Per Pupil Expenditures (2024)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	Rank Change from Previous Year	PSSA Math 3rd Grade	PSSA Math 4th Grade	PSSA Math 5th Grade	PSSA Math 6th Grade	PSSA Math 7th Grade	PSSA Math 8th Grade	PSSA Math All Grades	PSSA English Language Arts 3rd Grade	PSSA English Language Arts 4th Grade	PSSA English Language Arts 5th Grade	PSSA English Language Arts 6th Grade	PSSA English Language Arts 7th Grade	PSSA English Language Arts 8th Grade	PSSA English Language Arts All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Dunbar Paul L School	Public	PK, KG-8	1750 N 12th St	Philadelphia	19122	Philadelphia County	Philadelphia City School District	No	No	No	Yes	(215) 400-7410	224	23	9.8	102.2%	11 (4.9%)	182 (81.3%)	25 (11.2%)	4 (1.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.9%)	11.5	1329^th of 1511 public elementary schools	12.0%		11.6	1336^th of 1526 public elementary schools	12.5%	7	8.3	20.0	12.0	0.0	0.0	13.6	9.0	0.0	16.0	40.0	11.1	30.0	27.3	21.6	$28,265	$9,970	$18,295
Duckrey Tanner School	Public	K-8	1501 W Diamond St	Philadelphia	19121	Philadelphia County	Philadelphia City School District	No	No	No	Yes	(215) 400-7350	418	32	12.9	101.0%	2 (0.5%)	386 (92.3%)	24 (5.7%)	2 (0.5%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.5%)	12	1316^th of 1511 public elementary schools	12.9%		9.3	1369^th of 1526 public elementary schools	10.3%	53	25.7	28.3	2.3	2.3	0.0	0.0	9.1	31.4	25.5	20.5	7.0	14.9	12.2	18.2	$20,849	$5,327	$15,522
Meade Gen George C School	Public	PK, KG-8	1600 N 18th St	Philadelphia	19121	Philadelphia County	Philadelphia City School District	No	No	No	Yes	(215) 400-7310	314	29	10.9	88.9%	12 (3.8%)	274 (87.3%)	21 (6.7%)	3 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.3%)	6.9	1424^th of 1511 public elementary schools	5.8%		3.2	1516^th of 1526 public elementary schools	0.7%	92	17.2	8.7	6.7	4.0	4.2	5.6	8.1	27.2	4.3	6.8	12.0	20.8	13.9	14.7	$21,242	$5,930	$15,312
Alliance for Progress Charter School	Public, Charter	K-8	1821-39 Cecil B Moore Avenue	Philadelphia	19121	Philadelphia County	Alliance for Progress Charter School	Yes	No	No	Yes	(215) 232-4892	618	36	17.1	101.3%	1 (0.2%)	585 (94.7%)	29 (4.7%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	3.8	1499^th of 1511 public elementary schools	0.8%		3.3	1513^th of 1526 public elementary schools	0.9%	14	7.1	7.6	4.6	0.0	4.3	4.4	4.8	10.1	4.7	5.9	8.1	10.0	22.2	9.5	$19,298	$3,860	$15,438
Ludlow James R School	Public	PK, KG-8	550 W Master St	Philadelphia	19122	Philadelphia County	Philadelphia City School District	No	No	No	Yes	(215) 400-7430	215	23	9.2	94.4%	2 (0.9%)	158 (73.5%)	43 (20.0%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (5.1%)	6.3	1444^th of 1511 public elementary schools	4.4%		7.3	1410^th of 1526 public elementary schools	7.6%	34	21.4	5.6	0.0	4.3	14.3	19.1	12.3	13.8	17.6	0.0	17.4	14.3	18.2	14.5	$25,400	$9,204	$16,196
McKinley William School	Public	PK, KG-8	2101 N Orkney St	Philadelphia	19122	Philadelphia County	Philadelphia City School District	No	No	No	Yes	(215) 400-7440	306	30	10.2	105.6%	6 (2.0%)	120 (39.2%)	177 (57.8%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	5	1486^th of 1511 public elementary schools	1.7%		2.8	1521^st of 1526 public elementary schools	0.3%	35	12.5	0.0	0.0	8.0	2.7	2.9	4.5	15.2	0.0	0.0	20.0	8.1	14.3	9.9	$20,751	$5,540	$15,211
People for People Charter School	Public, Charter	K-8	800 North Broad Street	Philadelphia	19130	Philadelphia County	People for People Charter School	Yes	No	No	Yes	(215) 763-7060	573	31	18.1	102.4%	2 (0.3%)	551 (96.2%)	13 (2.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (1.0%)	9.9	1354^th of 1511 public elementary schools	10.4%		4.2	1492^nd of 1526 public elementary schools	2.2%	138	30.0	18.0	7.7	1.8	7.2	5.6	11.8	26.7	20.4	9.4	16.4	16.1	11.1	16.8	$19,305	$4,681	$14,624
Hartranft John F School	Public	K-8	720 W Cumberland St	Philadelphia	19133	Philadelphia County	Philadelphia City School District	No	No	No	Yes	(215) 400-7090	310	32	9.5	94.8%	6 (1.9%)	203 (65.5%)	89 (28.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (3.9%)	5	1484^th of 1511 public elementary schools	1.8%		3.5	1508^th of 1526 public elementary schools	1.2%	24	10.3	8.0	0.0	6.4	3.0	0.0	4.7	10.5	15.4	2.9	15.6	3.0	22.6	11.3	$24,961	$5,283	$19,678
Frederick Douglass Mastery Charter School	Public, Charter	K-8	2118 West Norris St.	Philadelphia	19121	Philadelphia County	Frederick Douglass Mastery Charter School	Yes	No	No	Yes	(267) 443-0673	528	33	16.0	99.4%	5 (0.9%)	477 (90.3%)	30 (5.7%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (2.7%)	7.6	1406^th of 1511 public elementary schools	6.9%		5.9	1442^nd of 1526 public elementary schools	5.5%	36	24.5	11.2	3.4	0.0	0.0	15.4	9.2	6.4	5.3	5.0	34.7	9.5	20.8	13.3	$21,443	$6,987	$14,456
KIPP Philadelphia Charter School	Public, Charter	K-8	2539 N. 16th Street	Philadelphia	19132	Philadelphia County	KIPP Philadelphia Charter School	Yes	No	No	Yes	(267) 687-7283	861	57	15.1	100.6%	4 (0.5%)	778 (90.4%)	36 (4.2%)	1 (0.1%)	2 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	40 (4.6%)	10.2	1348^th of 1511 public elementary schools	10.8%		10.6	1352^nd of 1526 public elementary schools	11.4%	4	26.4	22.0	12.5	4.7	3.3	1.3	12.1	19.8	23.1	14.9	13.1	15.4	25.7	18.5	$23,838	$7,217	$16,621

Frequently Asked Questions about Dunbar Paul L School

What district is Dunbar Paul L School in?

Philadelphia City School District

What is the racial makeup of Dunbar Paul L School?

Students at Dunbar Paul L School are 81% African American, 11% Hispanic, 5% White, 2% Asian.

What schools do graduates of Dunbar Paul L School attend?

Students who attend Dunbar Paul L School usually go on to attend:

High : Franklin Benjamin High School

Is Dunbar Paul L School a good school?

Dunbar Paul L School ranks in the bottom 12.0% of Pennsylvania elementary schools.

How many students attend Dunbar Paul L School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 224 students attended Dunbar Paul L School.

Rate Dunbar Paul L School!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

PAPennsylvania Elementary School Rankings

PAPennsylvania District Rankings

Schools in Philadelphia, PA

Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for Dunbar Paul L School!

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.