Dunbar Creative Performing Arts vs. Phillips Preparatory Middle School
Should you attend Dunbar Creative Performing Arts or Phillips Preparatory Middle School? Visitors to our site frequently compare these two schools. Compare their rankings, test scores, reviews and more to help you determine which school is the best choice for you.
Dunbar Creative Performing Arts, a Mobile, Alabama magnet school serving grades 6–8, ranked #358 statewide in 2023, declining from a peak rank of #31 in 2012 and showing a downward trend over recent years.
Reading proficiency reached 63% in 2022, higher than the state average of 47%, while math proficiency remained below the state average at 28% compared to 30%; science proficiency was approximately equal to the state average at 40–44%.
Enrollment declined from 547 students in 2012 to 333 in 2024, with minority enrollment around 90%, predominantly Black students (281 of 333), and about 70% of students eligible for free or reduced–price lunch, indicating socioeconomic challenges.
The school maintained a student–teacher ratio of 18:1 in 2024 with 333 students and 19 teachers, positioning it among the top 20% of Alabama schools for low student–teacher ratios.
Graduation rates dropped to 79% in 2023, below the state average of 88% and district average of 85%, reflecting a decline from previous years where rates were closer to or exceeded state levels.
Phillips Preparatory Middle School ranked #91 statewide in Alabama for 2023, showing a decline from a peak rank of #1 in 2013 but remaining within the top 10% overall in the state as a consistently high–performing Mobile County NJ high school.
Math proficiency was 50% in 2023, higher than the state average of 30%, while reading proficiency was 87%, higher than the state average of 47%; science proficiency ranged from 80–84%, also higher than the state average of 38%.
Enrollment declined from 899 students in 2015 to 438 in 2023, and the percentage of students eligible for free lunch increased from 25% in 2015 to 41% in 2023, indicating growing socioeconomic need; minority enrollment stood at 67%.
The school served grades 6–8 with an enrollment of 438 students and a student–teacher ratio of 13:1 in 2023, among the lowest ratios in the district, reflecting high student attention.
Graduation rates ranged from 79% in 2013 to 87% in 2023, slightly below the Alabama state average of 88% in recent years, highlighting a consistent performance trend over the decade.
Blue Ribbon Schools
-
Yes
Grades Offered
6-8
6-8
Total Students
333 students
438 students
% Male | % Female
22% | 78%
45% | 55%
Total Classroom Teachers
19 teachers
35 teachers
Student-Teacher Ratio
18:1
13:1
<Â鶹¹û¶³´«Ã½ class="so-dt-title">Test Scores
Overall Testing Rank
#358 out of 1275 schools in AL (Top 30%)
#91 out of 1275 schools in AL (Top 10%)
Math Test Scores (% Proficient)
28%
(Top 50% in AL)
50%
(Top 20% in AL)
Reading/Language Arts Test Scores (% Proficient)
63%
(Top 20% in AL)(21-22 School Year Data)
87%
(Top 1% in AL)(21-22 School Year Data)
Science Test Scores (% Proficient)
40-44%
(Top 50% in AL)(21-22 School Year Data)
80-84%
(Top 1% in AL)(21-22 School Year Data)
<Â鶹¹û¶³´«Ã½ class="so-dt-title">Students by Grade
Students by Grade
Grade 6 Students
125
175
Grade 7 Students
130
143
Grade 8 Students
78
120
<Â鶹¹û¶³´«Ã½ class="so-dt-title">Students by Ethnicity
% American Indian
n/a
n/a
% Asian
n/a
8%
% Hispanic
2%
6%
% Black
85%
48%
% White
10%
33%
% Hawaiian
n/a
n/a
% Two or more races
3%
5%
Diversity Score
0.27
0.65
<Â鶹¹û¶³´«Ã½ class="so-dt-title">Additional Information
