Dunbar Vocational Career Acad HS

Dunbar Vocational Career Acad HS operates as a tight-knit high school in Chicago, Illinois, operated by Chicago Public Schools Dist 299. Current enrollment sits at 355 students spanning grades 9 through 12. By comparison, Illinois's public schools average about 834 students each, so Dunbar Vocational Career Acad HS sits 57% below that benchmark.

Within Chicago Public Schools Dist 299, which oversees 622 schools and 324,396 students, Dunbar Vocational Career Acad HS is one campus in the system.

For racial and ethnic makeup, Dunbar Vocational Career Acad HS lists that nearly all students (96%) are Black. The remainder looks like 3% Hispanic. The wider county runs roughly 22% Black, putting the school's mix noticeably more Black than the area baseline.

Looking at the economic backdrop, Staff filings list 31 full-time-equivalent teachers, which works out to roughly 11.4:1 students per teacher. Statewide, the average ratio sits near 13.8:1, putting Dunbar Vocational Career Acad HS tighter than the state norm the norm. About 97% of enrolled students meet the income threshold for free or reduced-price lunch, which schools and policymakers use as a rough income-mix signal. That share is above Cook County's rate of about 66%.

On a demographically-adjusted basis, Dunbar Vocational Career Acad HS sits in the middle band of the BeatsExpectations distribution. Schools with this campus's student mix typically land near 15.6%; this one delivers 4.1%.

In the surrounding community, Cook County reports that median household income runs about $83,498, roughly 43% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and roughly 10% of residents live below the federal poverty line. Across Cook County's 1406 public schools (combined enrollment of about 697,934 students), Dunbar Vocational Career Acad HS is one campus in the mix.

Nearest neighbor: John J Pershing Magnet Elementary, around 0.2 miles off. Counting just inside five miles, 8 other public schools cluster around Dunbar Vocational Career Acad HS. Ranking that nearby cluster on reported proficiency puts Dunbar Vocational Career Acad HS at 8th of 9; the average score across the group is 14.4%.

Geographically, the school is in a downtown area.

Over the past 7-year window. Over the past 7-year window, the student count decreased 19%: 439 students in 2018 compared to 355 in 2025. The student-to-teacher ratio narrowed from 15.5:1 in 2018 to 11.4:1 today.

On allk12, the feed for Dunbar Vocational Career Acad HS typically covers science fair prep, picture-day reminders, and bus-route questions. Posting is open to anyone connected to the school.