Dunbar High School

Dunbar High School in Fort Myers, FL, is a large traditional public high school serving 1,734 students in grades 9-12 as part of the Lee County School District. The school has faced significant challenges, holding a 1-star rating for the past decade and ranking in the 24th percentile among Florida high schools, with test scores that consistently lag behind both district and state averages. Nearly half of its students qualify for free or reduced lunch, and a critical issue is chronic absenteeism, which stands at 44.3%—dramatically higher than the state average of 31.4% and far above the 28.4% rate at the nearby Fort Myers High School.

The most striking comparison is with Fort Myers High School, located just 2.68 miles away, which ranks in the 75th percentile (4 stars). The academic gap is vast: Dunbar’s proficiency rates are 36% in 10th-grade English Language Arts versus 69% at Fort Myers High, and 31% in Algebra 1 compared to 69%. In US History, the gap is even wider at 57% versus 86%. However, Dunbar is a much stronger option than alternative schools in the area, such as City Of Palms Charter High School and Coronado High School, which have graduation rates of 26.7% and 34.7%, respectively, and catastrophic chronic absenteeism rates above 90%.

Despite these challenges, there are positive signs. Dunbar’s graduation rate has shown a strong upward trend, rising from 82.6% in 2022-2023 to 90.5% in 2024-2025, now on par with the district average. Additionally, its Biology 1 proficiency rate (69%) is close to the state average (74%), suggesting a particularly effective science program. The school’s improving graduation rate provides a foundation to build upon, but addressing the chronic absenteeism crisis—where nearly half the student body is regularly absent—remains the most critical step for boosting academic performance and overall school climate.