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Dunbar Middle School

Q: Is Dunbar Middle School a good school?

Dunbar Middle School ranks 106 th of 161 West Virginia middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 6-8

106^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 161 West Virginia Middle Schools

Better than 34% of West Virginia middle schools

Summary

Dunbar Middle School serves 325 students in grades 6-8 within the Kanawha County Schools district, and it has been showing steady improvement over the past several years, climbing from the 22nd percentile statewide in 2021-2022 to the 34th percentile in 2025-2026.

One of the school's standout strengths is how well it supports students who often face extra challenges. In 2025-2026, Dunbar ranked in the 74th percentile statewide for students from low-income backgrounds—a remarkable jump from the 41st percentile just two years earlier. The school also performs well with special education students, ranking in the 85th percentile in 2024-2025, and has consistently scored at or above the median for this group over the past three years. Additionally, multi-racial students have ranked in the top 20 statewide for three consecutive years. However, there is a significant and growing gap between female and male students: girls ranked in the 62nd percentile while boys ranked in the 18th percentile in 2025-2026, one of the largest gender disparities among nearby schools. This gap is a key area for the school to address.

Academically, Dunbar's overall proficiency rates trail district and state averages in math (33.7% vs. 41.3% district) and English (41.1% vs. 47.7% district), but the school outperforms West Side Middle School by a wide margin and also beats South Charleston Middle School. A bright spot is 7th grade math, where proficiency (39.4%) actually exceeds both district and state averages. Science remains a critical weakness, with only 18% of 8th graders proficient—11 points below the state average. The school spends more per student ($13,373) than higher-performing neighbors like John Adams Middle School and Andrew Jackson Middle School, and it maintains a favorable 11.6:1 student-teacher ratio. While Dunbar still trails McKinley Middle School just two miles away, its positive momentum and strong equity-focused results suggest the school is moving in the right direction.

325

Students ?

11.6

Student/teacher ratio ?

$9,400

Per pupil spending ?

63.6%

Free/discounted lunch ?

325 27th St
Dunbar, WV 25064-2211

(304) 766-0363

District: Kanawha County Schools

Students who attend Dunbar Middle School usually attend:

High:

South Charleston High School

Feeder schools for Dunbar Middle School:

Elementary:	Dunbar Intermediate Center
	Dunbar Primary Center

Racial breakdown:

White:

63.4%

African American:

20.9%

Two or more races:

13.2%

See top rated West Virginia middle schools

Compare Dunbar Middle School to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 13th percentile in 2016 → 34th in 2026

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 21 percentile points since 2016

✓Small classes — about 12 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Test scores below the West Virginia average (34% vs 44% meeting standards)

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

!Science scores 11 pts below the West Virginia average

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school34%

District avg45%

West Virginia avg44%

106^th of 161

West Virginia public middle schools ?

Bottom 34%▲ up 21 pts since 2016

From bottom 13% (2016) to bottom 34% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of West Virginia Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

7^th of 10Middle Schools in the Kanawha County Schools

23^rd of 55Kanawha County Schools among West Virginia 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	West Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	40.0	106 of 161	34.2%	★★☆☆☆
2025	45.6	89 of 168	47.0%	★★☆☆☆
2024	28.8	124 of 169	26.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	30.8	125 of 168	25.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	27.1	132 of 169	21.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	43.9	89 of 171	48.0%	★★☆☆☆
2019	38.0	110 of 171	35.7%	★★☆☆☆
2018	33.9	120 of 170	29.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	20.4	161 of 176	8.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2016	23.3	149 of 172	13.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	20.5	153 of 173	11.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	46.1	89 of 172	48.3%	★★☆☆☆
2013	51.3	79 of 174	54.6%	★★★☆☆
2012	39.6	110 of 172	36.0%	★★☆☆☆
2011	23.5	152 of 171	11.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	41.5	113 of 171	33.9%	★★☆☆☆
2009	29.4	133 of 171	22.2%	★☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	West Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	49.5	11 of 22	50.0%	★★★☆☆
2025	53.3	13 of 25	48.0%	★★★☆☆
2024	59.3	6 of 24	75.0%	★★★★☆
2023	65.4	6 of 28	78.6%	★★★★☆
2022	34.0	20 of 26	23.1%	★★☆☆☆
2021	76.0	4 of 23	82.6%	★★★★☆
2019	44.0	17 of 27	37.0%	★★☆☆☆
2018	53.7	14 of 36	61.1%	★★★☆☆
2017	41.7	74 of 124	40.3%	★★☆☆☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	West Virginia percentile	Rating
2017	33.8	50 of 56	10.7%	★☆☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	West Virginia percentile	Rating
2022	44.6	71 of 131	45.8%	★★☆☆☆
2021	43.0	76 of 129	41.1%	★★☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	West Virginia percentile	Rating
2017	30.6	50 of 67	25.4%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	West Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	55.5	59 of 155	61.9%	★★★☆☆
2025	52.5	60 of 158	62.0%	★★★☆☆
2024	29.6	121 of 158	23.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	24.1	136 of 158	13.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	30.8	124 of 164	24.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	56.4	59 of 162	63.6%	★★★☆☆
2019	52.5	77 of 162	52.5%	★★★☆☆
2018	34.0	123 of 166	25.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	20.4	159 of 174	8.6%	☆☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	West Virginia percentile	Rating
2017	65.7	15 of 97	84.5%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	West Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	65.1	41 of 157	73.9%	★★★★☆
2025	54.5	60 of 165	63.6%	★★★☆☆
2024	40.7	96 of 164	41.5%	★★☆☆☆
2023	44.1	89 of 162	45.1%	★★☆☆☆
2022	33.5	120 of 162	25.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	48.1	72 of 164	56.1%	★★★☆☆
2018	49.9	78 of 165	52.7%	★★★☆☆
2017	25.7	153 of 176	13.1%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	West Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	27.3	129 of 156	17.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	37.1	104 of 160	35.0%	★★☆☆☆
2024	31.4	127 of 165	23.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	40.1	96 of 158	39.2%	★★☆☆☆
2022	28.2	129 of 161	19.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	39.2	97 of 164	40.9%	★★☆☆☆
2019	31.5	127 of 161	21.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	37.8	111 of 164	32.3%	★★☆☆☆
2017	24.4	152 of 176	13.6%	★☆☆☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	West Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	58.7	10 of 31	67.7%	★★★★☆
2025	76.6	6 of 31	80.6%	★★★★☆
2024	56.9	12 of 29	58.6%	★★★☆☆
2018	62.3	9 of 34	73.5%	★★★★☆
2017	48.6	54 of 107	49.5%	★★★☆☆

Pacific Islander

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	West Virginia percentile	Rating
2017	32.1	7 of 9	22.2%	★★☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	West Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	46.5	60 of 125	52.0%	★★★☆☆
2025	67.5	19 of 127	85.0%	★★★★☆
2024	55.3	40 of 128	68.8%	★★★☆☆
2023	40.4	77 of 132	41.7%	★★☆☆☆
2019	33.7	92 of 130	29.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	66.7	18 of 142	87.3%	★★★★☆
2017	36.6	124 of 174	28.7%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	West Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	52.0	70 of 161	56.5%	★★★☆☆
2025	46.0	90 of 168	46.4%	★★☆☆☆
2024	27.3	125 of 169	26.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	36.3	113 of 168	32.7%	★★☆☆☆
2022	35.0	114 of 168	32.1%	★★☆☆☆
2021	43.3	93 of 170	45.3%	★★☆☆☆
2019	46.8	86 of 168	48.8%	★★☆☆☆
2018	31.8	124 of 167	25.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	20.4	160 of 176	9.1%	☆☆☆☆☆

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)

Hispanic (2017)85th percentile+76 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)74th percentile+40 vs school

Multi-racial (2026)68th percentile+34 vs school

Female (2026)62nd percentile+28 vs school

White (2026)57th percentile+22 vs school

Special Education (2026)52nd percentile+18 vs school

African American (2026)50th percentile+16 vs school

Disabled (2022)46th percentile+24 vs school

English Language Learner (2017)25th percentile+17 vs school

Pacific Islander (2017)22nd percentile+14 vs school

Male (2026)17th percentile-17 vs school

Asian (2017)11th percentile~ school

By subject vs West Virginia (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts41%-6 vs state

Mathematics34%-6 vs state

Science18%-11 vs state

★

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Schools Near Dunbar Middle School

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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)				WV Assessment Mathematics (2026)					WV Assessment English Language Arts (2026)					WV Assessment Science (2026)			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 (2021)	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	WV Assessment Mathematics 5th Grade	WV Assessment Mathematics 6th Grade	WV Assessment Mathematics 7th Grade	WV Assessment Mathematics 8th Grade	WV Assessment Mathematics All Grades	WV Assessment English Language Arts 5th Grade	WV Assessment English Language Arts 6th Grade	WV Assessment English Language Arts 7th Grade	WV Assessment English Language Arts 8th Grade	WV Assessment English Language Arts All Grades	WV Assessment Science 5th Grade	WV Assessment Science 8th Grade	WV Assessment Science All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Dunbar Middle School	Public	6-8	325 27th St	Dunbar	25064	Kanawha County	Kanawha County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(304) 766-0363	325	28	11.6	63.6%	206 (63.4%)	68 (20.9%)	7 (2.2%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	43 (13.2%)	40	106^th of 161 public middle schools	34.2%		45.6	89^th of 168 public middle schools	47.0%	17		29.9	39.4	31.3	33.7		44.2	40.4	39.4	41.1		18.0		$9,400	$1,994	$7,406
South Charleston Middle School	Public	6-8	400 3rd Ave	South Charleston	25303	Kanawha County	Kanawha County Schools	No	No	No	No	(304) 348-1918	354	20	17.7	54.7%	249 (70.3%)	43 (12.1%)	6 (1.7%)	7 (2.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	49 (13.8%)	24.7	132^nd of 161 public middle schools	18.0%		42.5	95^th of 168 public middle schools	43.5%	37		25.9	26.1	18.8	23.4		35.7	37.8	30.5	34.5		24.8		$6,886	$109	$6,778
Andrew Jackson Middle School	Public	6-8	5445 Big Tyler Rd	Charleston	25313	Kanawha County	Kanawha County Schools	No	No	No	No	(304) 776-3310	488	31	15.7	47.4%	396 (81.1%)	24 (4.9%)	11 (2.3%)	10 (2.0%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	45 (9.2%)	76.4	24^th of 161 public middle schools	85.1%		71.2	33^rd of 168 public middle schools	80.4%	9		42.6	40.6	57.1	46.7		54.9	50.6	53.9	53.1		39.1		$7,122	$59	$7,063
Hayes Middle School	Public	6-8	830 Strawberry Rd	Saint Albans	25177	Kanawha County	Kanawha County Schools	No	No	No	No	(304) 722-0222	464	27	17.1	52.4%	424 (91.4%)	12 (2.6%)	3 (0.6%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	23 (5.0%)	60.6	51^st of 161 public middle schools	68.3%		55.9	64^th of 168 public middle schools	61.9%	13		42.1	34.9	43.6	40.1		50.0	51.4	41.5	47.5		30.4		$7,038	$231	$6,807
West Side Middle School	Public	6-8	812 Park Ave	Charleston	25302	Kanawha County	Kanawha County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(304) 348-6123	374	30	12.4	79.5%	172 (46.0%)	135 (36.1%)	6 (1.6%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	60 (16.0%)	9	158^th of 161 public middle schools	1.9%		7	165^th of 168 public middle schools	1.8%	7		9.3	11.8	21.2	14.8		20.7	27.1	31.9	27.0		8.0		$11,088	$3,117	$7,971
John Adams Middle School	Public	6-8	2002 Presidential Dr	Charleston	25314	Kanawha County	Kanawha County Schools	No	No	No	No	(304) 348-6652	740	42	17.8	28.5%	614 (83.0%)	46 (6.2%)	12 (1.6%)	16 (2.2%)	2 (0.3%)	3 (0.4%)	47 (6.4%)	87.7	8^th of 161 public middle schools	95.0%		90.5	8^th of 168 public middle schools	95.2%			48.2	56.2	50.0	51.8		64.7	65.2	57.6	62.5		37.7		$5,882	$171	$5,710
Poca Middle School	Public	6-8	2884 Charleston Rd	Poca	25159	Putnam County	Putnam County Schools	No	No	No	No	(304) 755-7343	277	22	12.8	53.0%	272 (98.2%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.1%)	76	26^th of 161 public middle schools	83.9%		83.1	16^th of 168 public middle schools	90.5%	10		19.4	60.2	53.3	46.0		54.2	58.0	53.3	55.2		50.0		$13,394	$902	$12,492
Sissonville Middle School	Public	5-8	100 Middle School Ln	Charleston	25312	Kanawha County	Kanawha County Schools	No	No	No	No	(304) 348-1993	521	30	17.3	51.4%	502 (96.4%)	1 (0.2%)	3 (0.6%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (2.5%)	46.8	84^th of 161 public middle schools	47.8%		39.8	101^st of 168 public middle schools	39.9%	17	40.0	36.9	38.8	42.2	39.5	46.1	46.7	34.5	40.6	42.0	23.5	20.3	21.8	$7,147	$232	$6,914
Horace Mann Middle School	Public	6-8	4300 Maccorkle Ave SE	Charleston	25304	Kanawha County	Kanawha County Schools	No	No	No	No	(304) 348-1971	385	27	14.5	56.5%	244 (63.4%)	82 (21.3%)	10 (2.6%)	13 (3.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	36 (9.4%)	47.6	80^th of 161 public middle schools	50.3%		51.7	74^th of 168 public middle schools	56.0%	6		41.2	37.3	26.7	35.0		42.6	38.2	41.4	40.8		32.2		$7,821	$221	$7,600
Du Pont Middle School	Public	6-8	1 Panther Dr	Belle	25015	Kanawha County	Kanawha County Schools	No	No	No	No	(304) 949-1798	440	29	15.1	58.4%	388 (88.2%)	25 (5.7%)	6 (1.4%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (4.5%)	38.8	109^th of 161 public middle schools	32.3%		44.4	92^nd of 168 public middle schools	45.2%	17		24.6	26.1	34.8	28.8		44.4	42.8	43.6	43.6		22.4		$8,486	$411	$8,074

Frequently Asked Questions about Dunbar Middle School

How many students attend Dunbar Middle School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 325 students attended Dunbar Middle School.

What is the racial makeup of Dunbar Middle School?

Students at Dunbar Middle School are 63% White, 21% African American, 13% Two or more races, 2% Hispanic.

What high school do graduates of Dunbar Middle School attend?

Students who attend Dunbar Middle School usually go on to attend South Charleston High School

What district is Dunbar Middle School in?

Kanawha County Schools

Is Dunbar Middle School a good school?

Dunbar Middle School ranks 106^th of 161 West Virginia middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

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Latest West Virginia data All new data »

2019–20 through 2024–25 school spending dataAug 24, 2026

2025–26 WV Assessment scoresAug 12, 2026

2024–25 graduation ratesJan 9, 2026

2024–25 WV Assessment scoresAug 13, 2025

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