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Dunbar Creative Performing Arts

Q: Is Dunbar Creative Performing Arts a good school?

Dunbar Creative Performing Arts ranks 141 st of 449 Alabama middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public, Magnet Grades 6-8

141^st

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 449 Alabama Middle Schools

Better than 69% of Alabama middle schools

Summary

Dunbar Creative Performing Arts is a middle school in Mobile, AL, serving 338 students in grades 6-8 within the Mobile County school district, where about 70% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch.

Dunbar stands out as a high-performing school in an area where many nearby schools struggle. It ranks in the 68th percentile of Alabama middle schools, earning a 3-star rating, which is dramatically higher than neighboring schools like Calloway Smith Middle School (32nd percentile), Booker T Washington Middle School (11th percentile), and Pillans Middle School (10th percentile). The school's greatest academic strength is English Language Arts, where proficiency rates consistently exceed both district and state averages by significant margins—for example, 74% of 7th graders were proficient in ELA compared to 49.5% district-wide. Science scores are also strong, with 8th graders outperforming state averages. Math remains the primary challenge, with proficiency rates in 6th and 7th grades lagging behind state averages, though 8th-grade math exceeds both district and state levels.

What makes Dunbar particularly impressive is its efficiency and school climate. Despite serving a high-poverty population, the school has remarkably low chronic absenteeism at just 6.4%, compared to 12.8% for the district—a strong indicator of student engagement. The school also achieves its results with per-student spending of $8,458, which is significantly lower than lower-performing peers like Mobile County Training Middle School ($16,619 per student, 6th percentile). While not an elite magnet school like Barton Academy For Advanced World Studies or Phillips Preparatory Middle School, Dunbar delivers outcomes that are far better than would be predicted based on demographics alone, making it a valuable educational asset for families in the Mobile area.

338

Students ?

15.3

Student/teacher ratio ?

$8,458

Per pupil spending ?

69.8%

Free/discounted lunch ?

500 Saint Anthony St
Mobile, AL 36603-6123

(251) 221-2160

District: Mobile County

Racial breakdown:

African American:

82.8%

White:

9.8%

Two or more races:

3.6%

See top rated Alabama middle schools

Compare Dunbar Creative Performing Arts to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 85th percentile in 2016 → 69th in 2026

Strengths

✓Above the Alabama median (69th percentile)

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 16 percentile points since 2016

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school48%

District avg40%

Alabama avg44%

141^st of 449

Alabama public middle schools ?

Top 31%▼ down 16 pts since 2016

From top 15% (2016) to top 31% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Alabama Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

5^th of 16Middle Schools in the Mobile County

95^th of 140Mobile County among Alabama districts

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

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2026	63.1	141 of 449	68.6%	★★★☆☆
2025	64.5	123 of 439	72.0%	★★★★☆
2024	71.1	96 of 442	78.3%	★★★★☆
2023	76.2	75 of 437	82.8%	★★★★☆
2022	63.6	125 of 432	71.1%	★★★★☆
2021	49.5	212 of 440	51.8%	★★★☆☆
2019	72.7	87 of 437	80.1%	★★★★☆
2018	81.3	60 of 423	85.8%	★★★★☆
2017	82.8	50 of 432	88.4%	★★★★☆
2016	78.1	65 of 432	85.0%	★★★★☆
2015	77.7	62 of 430	85.6%	★★★★☆
2014	76.4	67 of 438	84.7%	★★★★☆
2013	86.6	13 of 436	97.0%	★★★★★
2012	89.2	14 of 436	96.8%	★★★★★
2011	88.1	19 of 435	95.6%	★★★★★
2010	89.2	17 of 435	96.1%	★★★★★
2009	88.3	30 of 425	92.9%	★★★★★
2008	89.3	17 of 417	95.9%	★★★★★
2007	93.0	10 of 412	97.6%	★★★★★
2006	85.2	33 of 409	91.9%	★★★★★
2005	78.7	54 of 415	87.0%	★★★★☆
2004	76.5	73 of 407	82.1%	★★★★☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2026	81.5	29 of 269	89.2%	★★★★☆
2025	80.9	28 of 259	89.2%	★★★★☆
2024	86.6	19 of 269	92.9%	★★★★★
2023	91.5	15 of 263	94.3%	★★★★★
2022	82.8	31 of 271	88.6%	★★★★☆
2021	69.6	54 of 266	79.7%	★★★★☆
2019	89.0	17 of 252	93.3%	★★★★★
2018	94.2	10 of 247	96.0%	★★★★★
2017	92.4	11 of 205	94.6%	★★★★★

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2026	63.4	130 of 427	69.6%	★★★☆☆
2025	60.6	144 of 415	65.3%	★★★☆☆
2024	67.5	106 of 426	75.1%	★★★★☆
2023	75.4	73 of 417	82.5%	★★★★☆
2022	62.4	131 of 423	69.0%	★★★☆☆
2021	47.6	212 of 415	48.9%	★★☆☆☆
2019	66.2	104 of 399	73.9%	★★★★☆
2018	75.6	67 of 392	82.9%	★★★★☆
2017	77.9	55 of 380	85.5%	★★★★☆

Homeless

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2019	77.4	3 of 25	88.0%	★★★★★

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2026	73.1	84 of 438	80.8%	★★★★☆
2025	74.8	73 of 428	82.9%	★★★★☆
2024	80.4	60 of 437	86.3%	★★★★☆
2023	85.5	26 of 410	93.7%	★★★★★
2022	73.5	55 of 421	86.9%	★★★★☆
2021	60.2	140 of 415	66.3%	★★★☆☆
2019	80.8	39 of 396	90.2%	★★★★★
2018	86.2	22 of 396	94.4%	★★★★★
2017	92.6	11 of 349	96.8%	★★★★★

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2026	52.5	187 of 426	56.1%	★★★☆☆
2025	68.4	99 of 422	76.5%	★★★★☆
2024	74.4	77 of 428	82.0%	★★★★☆
2023	75.8	71 of 419	83.1%	★★★★☆
2022	61.9	126 of 427	70.5%	★★★★☆
2021	42.8	233 of 418	44.3%	★★☆☆☆
2019	77.0	59 of 399	85.2%	★★★★☆
2018	84.1	40 of 397	89.9%	★★★★★
2017	79.0	55 of 380	85.5%	★★★★☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2018	98.1	2 of 223	99.1%	★★★★★

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2026	72.5	71 of 359	80.2%	★★★★☆
2024	85.8	43 of 373	88.5%	★★★★☆
2023	85.5	41 of 370	88.9%	★★★★☆
2022	84.7	38 of 376	89.9%	★★★★★
2021	70.1	75 of 369	79.7%	★★★★☆
2019	94.9	15 of 343	95.6%	★★★★★
2018	94.0	20 of 331	94.0%	★★★★★
2017	87.0	22 of 247	91.1%	★★★★★

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)

Special Education (2018)99th percentile+13 vs school

African American (2026)89th percentile+21 vs school

Homeless (2019)88th percentile+8 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)81st percentile+12 vs school

White (2026)80th percentile+12 vs school

Female (2026)70th percentile~ school

Male (2026)56th percentile-12 vs school

By subject vs Alabama (2025-2026) ?

English70%+13 vs state

Science58%+3 vs state

Mathematics23%-6 vs state

5.0

1 rating · 1 written review

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What people are saying

by a student
Saturday, December 29, 2012

It's a great school, and I personally LOVED it.
There aren't any problems that I had with the school, and they're very tolerant. They have wide selections for electives, and all of them are interesting and fun.
The teachers are very kind, and they love working with kids and helping kids out.
It's an AMAZING school, and they give you chances to really find and love your talent. Close Quote

Schools Near Dunbar Creative Performing Arts

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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 (2026)				Ranking (2025)				Summative Assessment Mathematics (2026)			Summative Assessment Science (2026)	Summative Assessment English (2026)			Per Pupil Expenditures (2019)
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 (2025)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	Summative Assessment Mathematics 6th Grade	Summative Assessment Mathematics 7th Grade	Summative Assessment Mathematics 8th Grade	Summative Assessment Science 8th Grade	Summative Assessment English 6th Grade	Summative Assessment English 7th Grade	Summative Assessment English 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Dunbar Creative Performing Arts	Public, Magnet	6-8	500 Saint Anthony St	Mobile	36603	Mobile County	Mobile County	No	Yes	No	Yes	(251) 221-2160	338	22	15.3	69.8%	33 (9.8%)	280 (82.8%)	8 (2.4%)	3 (0.9%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (3.6%)	63.1	141^st of 449 public middle schools	68.6%		64.5	123^rd of 439 public middle schools	72.0%	18	22.9	15.2	31.0	57.5	65.3	74.1	70.8	$8,458	$1,071	$7,376
Calloway Smith Middle School	Public	6-8	350 N Lawrence St	Mobile	36603	Mobile County	Mobile County	No	No	No	Yes	(251) 221-2042	315	22	14.3	90.5%	4 (1.3%)	299 (94.9%)	9 (2.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.0%)	33.6	302^nd of 449 public middle schools	32.7%		23.5	338^th of 439 public middle schools	23.0%	36	17.3	19.8	14.7	44.8	37.3	48.4	48.4	$8,421	$1,124	$7,254
Barton Academy For Advanced World Studies	Public, Magnet	6-9	504 Government Street	Mobile	36602	Mobile County	Mobile County	No	Yes	No	No	(251) 221-1040	311	19	16.3	20.6%	192 (61.7%)	77 (24.8%)	13 (4.2%)	19 (6.1%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (2.9%)	98.4	3^rd of 449 public middle schools	99.3%		99	2^nd of 439 public middle schools	99.5%	1	75.8	48.2	69.3	90.7	100.0	92.9	98.7
Booker T Washington Middle School	Public	6-8	1961 Andrews St	Mobile	36617	Mobile County	Mobile County	No	No	No	Yes	(251) 221-2361	270	19	14.2	92.6%	6 (2.2%)	251 (93.0%)	10 (3.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.1%)	14	400^th of 449 public middle schools	10.9%		14.4	384^th of 439 public middle schools	12.5%	16	12.4	0.0	10.0	25.0	27.8	30.1	40.5	$10,926	$1,839	$9,077
Mobile County Training Middle School	Public	6-8	800 Whitley St	Mobile	36610	Mobile County	Mobile County	No	No	No	Yes	(251) 221-2267	193	14	13.7	94.3%	0 (0.0%)	188 (97.4%)	2 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.0%)	10	421^st of 449 public middle schools	6.2%		13.1	398^th of 439 public middle schools	9.3%	23	1.9	1.9	1.4	31.4	25.9	32.1	23.2	$16,619	$1,912	$14,696
Phillips Preparatory Middle School	Public, Magnet	6-8	3255 Old Shell Rd	Mobile	36607	Mobile County	Mobile County	No	Yes	No	No	(251) 221-2286	453	34	13.3	43.3%	156 (34.4%)	215 (47.5%)	23 (5.1%)	36 (7.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (5.1%)	96.3	9^th of 449 public middle schools	98.0%		95.9	11^th of 439 public middle schools	97.5%	2	69.6	58.4	44.4	88.2	91.3	85.4	91.7	$7,903	$690	$7,204
Chickasaw Middle School	Public	7-8	50 Chieftain Way	Chickasaw	36611	Mobile County	Chickasaw City	No	No	No	Yes	(251) 452-2256	143	11	13.6	90.9%	28 (19.6%)	105 (73.4%)	6 (4.2%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (2.1%)	11.1	416^th of 449 public middle schools	7.3%		14	387^th of 439 public middle schools	11.8%	29		2.8	1.5	19.1		36.6	27.9	$7,489	$1,450	$6,028
Pillans Middle School	Public	6-8	2051 Military Rd	Mobile	36605	Mobile County	Mobile County	No	No	No	Yes	(251) 221-2300	440	25	17.6	89.8%	21 (4.8%)	384 (87.3%)	20 (4.5%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (3.2%)	12.8	406^th of 449 public middle schools	9.6%		8	427^th of 439 public middle schools	2.7%	21	11.7	0.9	2.2	35.1	30.2	24.8	35.3	$10,414	$1,607	$8,796
Acceleration Preparatory Academy	Public, Charter	6-8	3725 Airport Blvd	Mobile	36608	Mobile County	MAEF Public Charter Schools	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(251) 301-0050	322			83.5%	5 (1.6%)	294 (91.3%)	9 (2.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (4.3%)	9.2	424^th of 449 public middle schools	5.6%		8.6	421^st of 439 public middle schools	4.1%	3	5.0	5.6	0.8	23.8	17.8	28.7	28.8
CL Scarborough Model Middle School	Public	6-8	1800 Phillips Ln	Mobile	36618	Mobile County	Mobile County	No	No	No	Yes	(251) 221-2323	641	33	19.4	86.1%	30 (4.7%)	560 (87.4%)	32 (5.0%)	3 (0.5%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (2.2%)	19.8	364^th of 449 public middle schools	18.9%		19.3	360^th of 439 public middle schools	18.0%	4	15.2	9.6	11.0	35.8	23.8	41.7	35.4	$11,174	$1,734	$9,382

Frequently Asked Questions about Dunbar Creative Performing Arts

Is Dunbar Creative Performing Arts a good school?

Dunbar Creative Performing Arts ranks 141^st of 449 Alabama middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

What district is Dunbar Creative Performing Arts in?

Mobile County

What is the racial makeup of Dunbar Creative Performing Arts?

Students at Dunbar Creative Performing Arts are 83% African American, 10% White, 4% Two or more races, 2% Hispanic.

How many students attend Dunbar Creative Performing Arts?

In the 2024-25 school year, 338 students attended Dunbar Creative Performing Arts.

Rate Dunbar Creative Performing Arts!

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Latest Alabama data All new data »

2025–26 Summative Assessment scoresAug 14, 2026

2024–25 attendance data & graduation ratesDec 27, 2025

2024–25 Summative Assessment scoresAug 14, 2025

2021–22 through 2023–24 attendance data & graduation ratesDec 2, 2024

SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Alabama State 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.