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If you could change one rule at MERIDITH-DUNBAR EARLY CHILDHOOD ACADEMY, what would it be?
Community prompt from u/allk12. Replies below.
Enrollment
487
Elementary
DISTRICT 475 · STATE 519
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·TEMPLE ISD·NCES 484233004815
Meridith-Dunbar Early Childhood Academy
1717 E AVE J, TEMPLE, TX 76504 · (254) 215-6700 · Bell County
GRADES PK–PKELEMENTARY41-RURALTITLE IREGULAR SCHOOL487 STUDENTS
·
allk12 Grade
Not graded
This school has no state test results for 2023-24 or 2024-25 to grade, which is common for schools that end before third grade. How grades work
Student : Teacher
19.2:1
25 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 16.5:1 · STATE 15.1:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
86%
421 students
DISTRICT 73% · STATE 65%
Community
1
0 members
Enrollment and student:teacher ratio compared against other elementary schools. Free/Reduced Lunch and demographics compared against all schools.
Enrollment by grade, 2024-25
| Grade | Students | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-K | 487 | 100% |
Student demographics
64%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 67% · STATE 63% · US 70%
Student head counts by race/ethnicity from federal NCES enrollment data. District, state, and US figures are each group's share of all public school students in that area (US excludes territories). Very small groups may be suppressed in the source, so categories do not always sum exactly to total enrollment.
Gender split
Schools most like Meridith-Dunbar Early Childhood Academy
| School | Students | Low-income | Proficient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meridith-Dunbar Early Childhood Academy this school | 487 | 86.4% | N/A |
| Harmony Science Academy - Lubbock LUBBOCK | 559 | 82.8% | 39.3% |
| Fitzgerald Elementary School ARLINGTON | 451 | 83.6% | 43.4% |
| Bell Elementary School TYLER | 540 | 90.0% | 42.0% |
| Compass Rose Journey WINDCREST | 502 | 87.3% | 24.5% |
| Mary Branch Elementary School BRYAN | 470 | 81.5% | 44.7% |
Matched among Texas elementary schools on enrollment, the share of students from low-income families (eligible for free or reduced-price lunch), and racial and ethnic makeup. Proficient is the average share of students meeting the state standard across all of the school's state tests in 2023-24 and 2024-25, the same combined score our test-score rankings use. Online schools and schools serving specialized populations are not matched.
Where Meridith-Dunbar Early Childhood Academy ranks
Among elementary schools| Measure | This school | In Texas | In Bell County |
|---|---|---|---|
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 487 | #2,659 of 4,938 | #41 of 62 |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 19.2:1 | #4,387 of 4,622 | #56 of 57 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 64.5% | #1,028 of 4,628 | #38 of 57 |
| Free and reduced lunch ranked highest share first | 86.4% | #1,437 of 4,789 | #2 of 59 |
| Enrollment change since 2017-18 ranked steepest decline first | -5.3% | #2,446 of 2,838 | #30 of 33 |
Ranked against other public elementary schools. Online schools are left out of every list, and test-score lists leave out schools that serve specialized populations. Each rank links to the full list. Arrows under a test-score rank show places moved since the prior test year, among schools tested both years.
4-year change
SY 2020-21 vs SY 2024-25Enrollment
487
+107 (+28%) vs 2020
+45% since 1990-91, when it was 336
Student : Teacher
19.2:1
was 17.3:1
Source: NCES Common Core of Data
Enrollment and staffing by year
| School year | Students | Teachers (FTE) | Students per teacher | Free and reduced lunch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 487 | 25.4 | 19.2:1 | 86% (421) |
| 2023-24 | 447 | 23.8 | 18.8:1 | 90% (401) |
| 2022-23 | 418 | 22.4 | 18.6:1 | 89% (370) |
| 2020-21 | 380 | 22 | 17.3:1 | 88% (336) |
| 2017-18 | 514 | 16.8 | 30.6:1 | 94% (485) |
| 2015-16 | 561 | 18 | 31.2:1 | 91% (513) |
| 2010-11 | 738 | 30 | 24.6:1 | 87% (640) |
| 2000-01 | 260 | 18 | 14.4:1 | 97% (251) |
| 1990-91 | 336 | 17 | 19.8:1 | N/A |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for Meridith-Dunbar Early Childhood Academy.
Since 2017-18: students down 5% (514 to 487); teachers up 51% (16.8 to 25.4).
About Meridith-Dunbar Early Childhood Academy
Meridith-Dunbar Early Childhood Academy is a medium-sized elementary school in TEMPLE, Texas, under TEMPLE ISD. Students in pre-K attend, and enrollment is 487 students.
Meridith-Dunbar Early Childhood Academy is one school in TEMPLE ISD, a system of 17 schools with 9,073 students.
Hispanic students make up a majority at Meridith-Dunbar Early Childhood Academy, at 52%. The next largest groups are 26% Black, 13% White, 6% multiracial, and 3% Asian. In Bell County overall, about 26% of residents are Hispanic. Pick two students at random and there is a 64% chance they belong to different racial or ethnic groups; that figure is the school's diversity index.
The teaching staff at Meridith-Dunbar Early Childhood Academy is 25.4 full-time-equivalent teachers, and the ratio is 19.2:1. The school has more students per teacher than the 15.1:1 average for elementary schools in Texas. About 86% of students, or 421, qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. On average, public schools in Bell County report 57%.
Within Bell County, the median household income is $68,865, about 27% of adults have at least a bachelor's degree, and the poverty rate is about 11%. In all, Bell County has 130 public schools and roughly 71,041 students.
The nearest other public school, Wheatley Alternative Education Center, is about 0.9 miles away. Inside a five-mile radius, there are at least 8 other public schools.
Meridith-Dunbar Early Childhood Academy is coded as Rural: Fringe in federal locale data.
Federal data show a 28% enrollment gain, from 380 in 2020-21 to 487 in 2024-25. Over the same period, the student-to-teacher ratio rose to 19.2:1, from 17.3:1.
Posts about school events, clubs, and volunteer needs are welcome on this page. Reviews and ratings from people who know the school are welcome.
Bell County at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
386,897
Census ACS
Median income
$68,865
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
27%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
11%
Below federal line
Schools in county
130
71,041 students
Quick facts
Related schools
Other schools in TEMPLE ISD
- Temple High SchoolHigh · 2,320 students
- Thornton Elementary SchoolElementary · 763 students
- Travis Science AcademyMiddle · 686 students
- Bonham Middle SchoolMiddle · 627 students
- Sampson-Howard Elementary SchoolElementary · 611 students
- Lamar Middle SchoolMiddle · 553 students
Other schools in TEMPLE
- Temple High SchoolHigh · 2,320 students
- Lake Belton High SchoolHigh · 2,300 students
- North Belton Middle SchoolMiddle · 979 students
- Lake Belton Middle SchoolMiddle · 803 students
- Thornton Elementary SchoolElementary · 763 students
- Travis Science AcademyMiddle · 686 students
Nearby schools
- Wheatley Alternative Education Center0.9 mi · 55
- Hector P Garcia Elementary School1.5 mi · 396
- Travis Science Academy1.7 mi · 686
- Fred W Edwards Academy Aec2.0 mi · 77
- Sampson-Howard Elementary School2.1 mi · 611
- Temple High School2.3 mi · 2,320
Frequently asked questions
About Meridith-Dunbar Early Childhood AcademyWhat is the total enrollment at Meridith-Dunbar Early Childhood Academy?
Meridith-Dunbar Early Childhood Academy enrolls approximately 487 students in grades PK-PK.
What age range does Meridith-Dunbar Early Childhood Academy serve?
Meridith-Dunbar Early Childhood Academy serves students from grade PK through grade PK.
How many students per teacher at Meridith-Dunbar Early Childhood Academy?
Approximately 19.2:1 students per teacher at Meridith-Dunbar Early Childhood Academy.
What is the student diversity at Meridith-Dunbar Early Childhood Academy?
Student demographics at Meridith-Dunbar Early Childhood Academy are roughly 13% White, 52% Hispanic, 26% Black, 3% Asian, 6% Two or more.
What district is Meridith-Dunbar Early Childhood Academy in?
Meridith-Dunbar Early Childhood Academy is part of TEMPLE ISD.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.