Dunbar High School (Washington, D.C.)

Dunbar High School
Address
Map
101 N Street Northwest[1]

20001

United States
Coordinates38°54′31″N 77°00′51″W / 38.9087°N 77.0142°W / 38.9087; -77.0142
Information
Former namePreparatory High School for Colored Youth
School typePublic high school
Established1870 (154 years ago) (1870)
StatusOpen[2]
School boardDistrict of Columbia State Board of Education
School districtDistrict of Columbia Public Schools
NCES District ID1100030[3]
School codeDC-001-467[2]
CEEB code090055[4]
NCES School ID110003000079[2]
PrincipalNadine Smith
Faculty42 (on an FTE basis)[2]
Grades9 to 12[2]
Enrollment666[2] (2020–2021)
 • Grade 9222[2]
 • Grade 10173[2]
 • Grade 11115[2]
 • Grade 12156[2]
Student to teacher ratio15.86[2]
Campus typeUrban
Color(s)Black and crimson
  
Athletics conferenceDCIAA
NicknameCrimson Tide
USNWR ranking13,394–17,857[5]
Communities servedWard 5
Websitedhs.leeschools.net

Paul Laurence Dunbar High School is a historically black public secondary school located in Washington, D.C. The school was America's first public high school for black students.

The school is located in the Truxton Circle neighborhood of Northwest Washington, two blocks from the intersection of New Jersey and New York avenues. Dunbar, which serves grades 9 through 12, is a part of the District of Columbia Public Schools.

From the early 20th century to the 1950s, Dunbar became known as the classical academic high school for black students in segregated public schools. As all public school teachers were federal civil servants, the school's teachers received pay equal to white teachers in other schools in the district. It attracted high-quality faculty, many with advanced degrees, including doctorates. Parents sent their children to the school from across the city because of its high standards. Many of its alumni graduated from top-quality colleges and universities and gained professional degrees. An early principal was Mary Jane Patterson.[6][7]

  1. ^ GNIS entry for Dunbar Senior High School; USGS; December 31, 1981.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "Search for Public Schools - Dunbar HS (110003000079)". National Center for Education Statistics. Institute of Education Sciences. Retrieved June 3, 2022.
  3. ^ "Search for Public School Districts – District Detail for District of Columbia Public Schools". National Center for Education Statistics. Institute of Education Sciences. Retrieved June 3, 2022.
  4. ^ "K–12 School Code Search". College Board. Retrieved June 3, 2022.
  5. ^ "Dunbar High School". U.S. News High School Rankings. U.S. News & World Report L.P. 2021. Retrieved June 3, 2022.
  6. ^ https://www.nationalaffairs.com/storage/app/uploads/public/58e/1a4/ba6/58e1a4ba616e4230354245.pdf [bare URL PDF]
  7. ^ Terrell, Mary Church (July 1917). "History of the High School for Negroes in Washington". The Journal of Negro History. 2 (3): 252–266. doi:10.2307/2713767. JSTOR 2713767.