Original Research by School Decision on Paul Dunbar Lawrence School
Paul Dunbar Lawrence School serves students from preschool through eighth grade as a regular public school within the Phoenix Elementary District, situated in the city of Phoenix. The school is located on Grant Street in the urban core of this large, rapidly growing desert metropolis, which functions as a major hub for finance, transportation, and high-technology manufacturing in the Mountain West.
The student body is diverse and characteristic of its central Phoenix neighborhood. The largest share of students are Hispanic, followed by a substantial representation of Black students, with smaller numbers of students who are American Indian or Alaska Native, white, Asian, or of two or more races. The school serves grades kindergarten through six in measurable numbers, with preschool, seventh, and eighth grades showing no fall enrollment counts, suggesting the school may concentrate its programming in the elementary and early middle school years. While the state does not report free or reduced-price meal eligibility for this school, the demographic profile of the community and surrounding area would be a relevant factor for a parent to investigate directly with the school.
State assessment data for Paul Dunbar Lawrence School is largely suppressed, which often occurs when small testing cohorts do not meet minimum reporting thresholds. The available data for the 2024-25 school year shows that approximately 20 to 21 students were tested in each of grades three, four, and five for math and English language arts, and 20 students were tested in fifth-grade science. These are small groups, and the state has not released proficiency rates for most individual grade levels. However, a multi-year trend view provides a broader picture. For the 2024-25 school year, the school’s overall proficiency rate across tested grades was reported in the mid-twenties in English language arts and near that level in math, with a slight decline in math from the prior year. These figures place the school in a position where a parent would want to understand the trajectory and instructional supports in place, particularly given the small cohort sizes that can make year-to-year comparisons volatile.
Because the school serves only through eighth grade, there is no graduation rate to report. The comparison to other districts in Maricopa County could not be calculated for proficiency, graduation, or chronic absenteeism because the core metric values for this school are unavailable or suppressed. This is a school whose story is told more by its demographics and urban setting than by published performance benchmarks.
Phoenix itself adds important context. It is a vast, car-oriented city with a grid street pattern and a history stretching from agriculture through a mid-century shift to services and technology. The school sits within a district that, based on publicly reported searches, has not recently undergone major bond, override, curriculum, or policy changes that would shape a family’s decision at this level. The housing market in the immediate area shows home values that have softened somewhat, and rents are slightly down, reflecting broader national trends in affordability pressures.
For a family considering Paul Dunbar Lawrence School, the core decision points will center on the school’s role as a small, neighborhood-based elementary school in a diverse urban setting. The lack of published academic results for most tested grades means that direct conversation with the school about classroom instruction, student progress, and academic support programs will be essential. The school’s size and the apparent concentration in grades kindergarten through six suggest an intimate environment where families may find close relationships with staff. The wider Phoenix context offers abundant civic amenities, a strong employment base in technology and manufacturing, and a city that continues to grow, but also a sprawling, drive-oriented landscape that families should assess against their own preferences for daily life and commute.
See more original research from School Decision →