Paul Laurence Dunbar High School

As a heavily attended secondary school in Lexington, Kentucky, Paul Laurence Dunbar High School works with 1,828 students from grades 9 through 12, run under Fayette County. Enrollment runs roughly 228% above the state mean of about 558.

Across the 73 schools in Fayette County (42,138 students total), Paul Laurence Dunbar High School accounts for its share of the district's footprint.

On the student-mix side, Paul Laurence Dunbar High School logs that the largest single group is White at 40%, but no single group is in the majority. Beyond that, the school lists 31% Hispanic, 14% Black, 11% Asian, 4% multiracial. That is considerably less White than the county at large, where the share is closer to 68%.

In terms of school funding signals, Staff filings list 103 full-time-equivalent teachers, which works out to roughly 17.7:1 students per teacher. That figure is higher than the state norm's 16.6:1 average. About 41% of enrolled students meet the income threshold for free or reduced-price lunch, a commonly cited indicator of low-income enrollment. Set against Fayette County (around 50%), the school's rate is noticeably below typical.

Adjusting for the school's free-and-reduced-lunch share, Paul Laurence Dunbar High School sits in the middle band of the BeatsExpectations distribution. Schools with this campus's student mix typically land near 49.9%; this one delivers 49.5%.

Zooming out to the county, ACS estimates for Fayette County put median household income runs about $69,479, about 48% of the adult population holds a bachelor's degree or above, and census figures put the poverty rate at about 9%. In all, Fayette County runs 81 public schools (combined enrollment of about 42,142 students), of which Paul Laurence Dunbar High School is one.

The closest other public school is Rosa Parks Elementary School, roughly 0.8 miles away. Counting just inside five miles, 8 other public schools cluster around Paul Laurence Dunbar High School. Among the 9 schools in that immediate cluster with test data (this one included), Paul Laurence Dunbar High School ranks 7th on composite proficiency, beneath the local average of 57.3%.

The campus sits in an urban setting.

Looking at the recent track record. Paul Laurence Dunbar High School's enrollment has decreased 11% since 2018, when it stood at 2,054 (now 1,828). The White share of enrollment shrank from 52% to 40% over that span.

On the community side, the page collects discussion, questions, and updates around pickup logistics, teacher feedback, and after-school programs. Members of the school community can share what they know.