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Paul Laurence Dunbar School

Q: How many students attend Paul Laurence Dunbar School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 391 students attended Paul Laurence Dunbar School.

Q: What is the racial makeup of Paul Laurence Dunbar School?

Students at Paul Laurence Dunbar School are 61% Hispanic, 32% African American, 3% White, 3% Two or more races.

Q: What schools do graduates of Paul Laurence Dunbar School attend?

Students who attend Paul Laurence Dunbar School usually go on to attend: High : Aerospace/Hydrospace Engineering and Physical Sciences Magne High : Biotechnology Research & Zoological Studies Magnet High School High : Bridgeport Military Academy High : Information Technology & Software Engineering Magnet High School High : Warren Harding High School

Public Grades PK, KG-8

Summary

Paul Laurence Dunbar School is an elementary school serving grades PK-8 in Bridgeport, CT, part of the Bridgeport School District, which is ranked 152 out of 156 districts in Connecticut and has a 0-star rating from SchoolDigger. The school has 394 students and has consistently ranked among the lowest-performing elementary schools in the state over the past decade, with a 0-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Paul Laurence Dunbar School consistently underperforms compared to the Bridgeport School District and the state of Connecticut on standardized tests. For example, in 2024-2025, only 13.6% of 6th graders are projected to be proficient or better in English Language Arts, compared to 21.4% for the Bridgeport district and 50% for the state. Similarly, 0% of 4th graders are projected to be proficient or better in Mathematics, compared to 13.6% for the district and 51.4% for the state. The school also has extremely high chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 17.7% to 36.7% over the past few years, significantly higher than the state average. Additionally, the school has an extremely high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 71.23% to 92.64% over the past few years, indicating a high level of economic disadvantage among the student population.

While Paul Laurence Dunbar School is consistently one of the lowest-performing schools in the state, the nearby schools in the Bridgeport School District, such as Roosevelt School, Barnum School, Waltersville School, and Jettie S. Tisdale School, also struggle academically, with most of them ranking in the bottom 10-20% of Connecticut elementary schools. This suggests that the challenges facing Paul Laurence Dunbar School are not unique but rather reflective of systemic issues within the Bridgeport School District.

391

Students ?

16.2

Student/teacher ratio ?

$18,231

Per pupil spending ?

91.8%

Free/discounted lunch ?

445 Union Ave.
Bridgeport, CT 06607

(203) 576-7194

District: Bridgeport School District

Students who attend Paul Laurence Dunbar School usually attend:

High:	Aerospace/Hydrospace Engineering and Physical Sciences Magne
	Biotechnology Research & Zoological Studies Magnet High School
	Bridgeport Military Academy
	Information Technology & Software Engineering Magnet High School
	More...
	Warren Harding High School

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

61.4%

African American:

31.7%

White:

3.3%

See top rated Connecticut public schools

Compare Paul Laurence Dunbar School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 11th percentile in 2006 → <1st in 2017

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Connecticut average (13% vs 51% meeting standards)

!High chronic absenteeism (39% vs 17% Connecticut)

!Ranking has slipped — down 11 percentile points since 2006

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school13%

District avg21%

Connecticut avg51%

242^nd of 252

Connecticut public middle schools ?

Bottom 4%▼ down 6 pts since 2015

From bottom 10% (2015) to bottom 4% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Connecticut Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

152^nd of 156Bridgeport School District among Connecticut 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	Connecticut percentile	Rating
2017	1.8	517 of 519	0.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2015	5.0	539 of 551	2.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2013	0.6	556 of 557	0.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2012	0.3	560 of 564	0.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2011	1.8	558 of 565	1.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2010	0.3	579 of 579	0.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2009	0.5	564 of 566	0.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2008	6.1	533 of 565	5.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2007	3.0	548 of 568	3.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2006	12.6	509 of 570	10.7%	★☆☆☆☆

Middle school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Connecticut percentile	Rating
2025	6.5	242 of 252	4.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2015	8.9	252 of 280	10.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	2.3	267 of 278	4.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2012	1.0	264 of 272	2.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2011	3.8	255 of 269	5.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2010	6.1	247 of 268	7.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2009	1.6	248 of 255	2.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2008	5.7	228 of 252	9.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2007	3.8	231 of 250	7.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2006	9.9	215 of 248	13.3%	★☆☆☆☆

By subject vs Connecticut (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts15%-35 vs state

Science13%-37 vs state

Mathematics0%-51 vs state

★

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Schools Near Paul Laurence Dunbar School

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				NGSS Science (2025)		SBAC English Language Arts (2025)						SBAC Mathematics (2025)						Per Pupil Expenditures (2025)
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	NGSS Science 5th Grade	NGSS Science 8th Grade	SBAC English Language Arts 3rd Grade	SBAC English Language Arts 4th Grade	SBAC English Language Arts 5th Grade	SBAC English Language Arts 6th Grade	SBAC English Language Arts 7th Grade	SBAC English Language Arts 8th Grade	SBAC Mathematics 3rd Grade	SBAC Mathematics 4th Grade	SBAC Mathematics 5th Grade	SBAC Mathematics 6th Grade	SBAC Mathematics 7th Grade	SBAC Mathematics 8th Grade	Total
Paul Laurence Dunbar School	Public	PK, KG-8	445 Union Ave.	Bridgeport	06607	Greater Bridgeport Planning Region	Bridgeport School District	No	No	No	Yes	(203) 576-7194	391	24	16.2	91.8%	13 (3.3%)	124 (31.7%)	240 (61.4%)	2 (0.5%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (2.8%)								(n/a)		13.0				13.6	17.0			0.0					$18,231
Jettie S. Tisdale School	Public	PK, KG-8	250 Hollister Avenue	Bridgeport	06607	Greater Bridgeport Planning Region	Bridgeport School District	No	No	No	Yes	(203) 576-8037	547	46	11.8	92.1%	36 (6.6%)	199 (36.4%)	297 (54.3%)	4 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	10 (1.8%)	8.2	456^th of 493 public elementary schools	7.5%		6.8	469^th of 497 public elementary schools	5.6%	13	14.3	19.5		23.8	16.0		13.9	21.7		26.2		17.0	8.3	26.5	$20,846
Barnum School	Public	PK, KG-8	495 Waterview Avenue	Bridgeport	06608	Greater Bridgeport Planning Region	Bridgeport School District	No	No	No	Yes	(203) 275-2300	588	44	13.3	94.9%	41 (7.0%)	135 (23.0%)	400 (68.0%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (1.7%)	8	459^th of 493 public elementary schools	6.9%		4.5	491^st of 497 public elementary schools	1.2%	32		19.3	15.0			21.1		14.0	18.3	15.3		19.3		10.5	$18,535
Waltersville School	Public	PK, KG-8	150 Hallett Street	Bridgeport	06608	Greater Bridgeport Planning Region	Bridgeport School District	No	No	No	Yes	(203) 275-2400	432	32	13.7	96.3%	17 (3.9%)	142 (32.9%)	265 (61.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (1.6%)	7.3	462^nd of 493 public elementary schools	6.3%					(n/a)	12.8	16.7					14.6	25.0	24.3	15.0		13.6			$18,340
Hall School	Public	PK, KG-6	290 Clermont Ave.	Bridgeport	06610	Greater Bridgeport Planning Region	Bridgeport School District	No	No	No	Yes	(203) 576-7560	162	16	10.1	92.0%	9 (5.6%)	59 (36.4%)	81 (50.0%)	3 (1.9%)	2 (1.2%)	1 (0.6%)	7 (4.3%)								(n/a)															$21,083
Luis Munoz Marin School	Public	PK, KG-8	479 Helen St.	Bridgeport	06608	Greater Bridgeport Planning Region	Bridgeport School District	No	No	No	Yes	(203) 576-8202	709	47	15.2	88.0%	20 (2.8%)	110 (15.5%)	562 (79.3%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	14 (2.0%)								(n/a)	10.5					8.7	13.2	9.1					12.0	9.2	$16,258
Edison School	Public	PK, KG-6	115 Boston Terrace	Bridgeport	06610	Greater Bridgeport Planning Region	Bridgeport School District	No	No	No	Yes	(203) 576-7183	181	15	11.8	91.7%	8 (4.4%)	57 (31.5%)	97 (53.6%)	4 (2.2%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.6%)	14 (7.7%)								(n/a)						26.1									$19,435
Johnson House Elementary School	Public	K-6	719 Birdseye Street	Stratford	06615	Greater Bridgeport Planning Region	Stratford School District	No	No	No	Yes	(203) 385-4180	537	37	14.5	64.4%	51 (9.5%)	174 (32.4%)	290 (54.0%)	4 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	16 (3.0%)	5.6	478^th of 493 public elementary schools	3.0%		5.9	479^th of 497 public elementary schools	3.6%	1	17.9		19.2	16.1		15.7			15.1	13.8	12.0				$21,300
Franklin School	Public	K-6	1895 Barnum Avenue	Stratford	06615	Greater Bridgeport Planning Region	Stratford School District	No	No	No	Yes	(203) 385-4190	246	20	12.1	61.0%	23 (9.3%)	88 (35.8%)	120 (48.8%)	7 (2.8%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (2.8%)	20	367^th of 493 public elementary schools	25.6%		22.1	359^th of 497 public elementary schools	27.8%	8	26.0		36.8		32.0				39.5	35.1	26.0				$22,368
Roosevelt School	Public	PK, KG-8	680 Park Ave.	Bridgeport	06604	Greater Bridgeport Planning Region	Bridgeport School District	No	No	No	Yes	(203) 576-8032	493	34	14.5	96.3%	32 (6.5%)	132 (26.8%)	312 (63.3%)	8 (1.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (1.8%)	9.3	440^th of 493 public elementary schools	10.8%		8.1	453^rd of 497 public elementary schools	8.9%	13	28.0	14.0		19.6			28.3	12.5				11.5	15.1		$17,520

Frequently Asked Questions about Paul Laurence Dunbar School

What district is Paul Laurence Dunbar School in?

Bridgeport School District

What schools do graduates of Paul Laurence Dunbar School attend?

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

High : Aerospace/Hydrospace Engineering and Physical Sciences Magne
High : Biotechnology Research & Zoological Studies Magnet High School
High : Bridgeport Military Academy
High : Information Technology & Software Engineering Magnet High School
High : Warren Harding High School

How many students attend Paul Laurence Dunbar School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 391 students attended Paul Laurence Dunbar School.

What is the racial makeup of Paul Laurence Dunbar School?

Students at Paul Laurence Dunbar School are 61% Hispanic, 32% African American, 3% White, 3% Two or more races.

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