Meridith-Dunbar Early Childhood Academy
Public school in Temple, Texas · Temple ISD · Grades Pre-K
Meridith-Dunbar Early Childhood Academy serves 487 students in pre-K in Temple (Bell County). It is one of 15 schools in Temple ISD. By enrollment it is the 9th largest of 130 public schools in Texas (median 257 students). With 19.2 students per full-time teacher, it has more students per teacher than the typical Texas school (17).
Source: NCES CCD 2024-25. Rank and medians compare all 130 Texas schools with enrollment listed on this site.
Source: NCES CCD 2024-25. Students per teacher = students ÷ 25.36 full-time-equivalent teachers.
School facts
| School type | Regular School |
| Level | Pre-K |
| Grades | Pre-K |
| District | Temple ISD |
| County | Bell County |
| Area type | Rural, fringe |
| School meals | Free meals for every student (Community Eligibility Provision) |
| NCES school ID | 484233004815 |
Source: NCES CCD 2024-25 directory and school characteristics; area type from NCES EDGE locale codes.
Compared with the district and Texas
| This school | Temple ISD | Texas schools (median) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Students | 487 | 8,764 | 257 |
| Students per teacher | 19.2 | 14.6 | 17 |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligible | 86.4% | 71.4% | 85.7% |
Source: NCES CCD 2024-25. District figures add up its schools. 74% of Texas schools have fewer students per teacher than this school (share of schools with a lower ratio). State test results aren't published here yet.
Meridith-Dunbar Early Childhood Academy in context
Size
Meridith-Dunbar Early Childhood Academy is the only school in Temple ISD. Its 487 students are 5.6% of the district's 8,764. Its 8 closest schools sit a median 50.6 miles away with a median enrollment of 202; Meridith-Dunbar Early Childhood Academy is larger than most of them.
Source: NCES CCD 2024-25 enrollment and school type. Share of district students = this school's students ÷ the district's students. Nearest schools by straight-line distance between NCES EDGE locations.
Grades
Meridith-Dunbar Early Childhood Academy serves a single grade, pre-K, with 487 students.
Source: NCES CCD 2024-25 membership by grade.
Students
The largest group is Hispanic students: 51.5% here and 48.9% across Temple ISD. Black students are next, at 26.1%. Students from 6 of the 7 race and ethnicity groups NCES reports are enrolled.
86.4% of its students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, against 71.4% across Temple ISD and a median of 85.7% for Texas schools. Under the Community Eligibility Provision, every student can eat breakfast and lunch at no charge, and families fill out no meal application.
Source: NCES CCD 2024-25 membership and school lunch program data. District shares weight each school by its enrollment.
Teachers
With 25.36 full-time-equivalent teachers for 487 students, Meridith-Dunbar Early Childhood Academy has 19.2 students per teacher. At the median Texas school ratio of 17, a school with 487 students would have about 28.6 teachers, so Meridith-Dunbar Early Childhood Academy has 3.2 fewer.
Source: NCES CCD 2024-25. Expected teachers = this school's students ÷ the median students per teacher of Texas schools (17).
Location
Meridith-Dunbar Early Childhood Academy is in rural territory within 5 miles of an urbanized area or 2.5 miles of a town, which NCES calls rural, fringe. The nearest other school is Belton Early Childhood School, 7.8 miles away in Belton ISD. Within 10 miles there is 1 other school, 0 of them within 5 miles.
Source: NCES EDGE school locations and locale codes, 2024-25. Distances are straight lines.
Students by race and ethnicity
| Hispanic | 51.5% |
| Black | 26.1% |
| White | 13.3% |
| Two or more races | 5.5% |
| Asian | 2.9% |
| American Indian or Alaska Native | 0.6% |
47.8% of students are girls and 52.2% are boys.
Source: NCES CCD 2024-25 membership.
Location and contact
1717 E Ave J, Temple, TX 76504
Phone: (254)215-6700
Website: tisd.org
Locations: NCES EDGE. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Red: Meridith-Dunbar Early Childhood Academy. Blue: the nearest schools.
Nearby schools
| School | District | Distance | Students | Per teacher | Free/reduced lunch |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Belton Early Childhood School | Belton ISD | 7.8 mi | 494 | 17 | 59.1% |
| Moody Pre-K | Moody ISD | 16.2 mi | 41 | 19.4 | 80.5% |
| Mae Stevens Early Learning Academy | Copperas Cove ISD | 32.5 mi | 318 | 14.9 | 70.4% |
| Rrisdpk3p | Round Rock ISD | 45.1 mi | 40 | – | 22.5% |
| Austin Achieve Ferguson | Austin Achieve Public Schools | 56.2 mi | 73 | 18.3 | 90.4% |
| Austin ISD Prek Partnership (Pkp) | Austin ISD | 60.1 mi | 162 | – | 78.4% |
| Brenham Early Childhood Learning Center | Brenham ISD | 84.3 mi | 242 | 22 | 91.7% |
| George W Carver Early Education Center | Lockhart ISD | 84.9 mi | 325 | 18.1 | 94.8% |
Source: NCES CCD 2024-25. Distance in a straight line between NCES EDGE locations.
Other schools in Temple ISD
| School | Level | Grades | Students |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bonham Middle School | Middle | 6–8 | 627 |
| Fred W Edwards Academy Aec | High | 9–12 | 77 |
| Hector P Garcia Elementary School | Elementary | Pre-K–5 | 396 |
| Jefferson Elementary School | Elementary | K–5 | 504 |
| Kennedy-Powell Elementary School | Elementary | Pre-K–5 | 384 |
| Lamar Middle School | Middle | 6–8 | 553 |
| Raye-Allen Elementary School | Elementary | Pre-K–5 | 441 |
| Sampson-Howard Elementary School | Elementary | Pre-K–5 | 611 |
| Scott Elementary School | Elementary | K–5 | 442 |
| Temple High School | High | 9–12 | 2,320 |
| Thornton Elementary School | Elementary | Pre-K–5 | 763 |
| Travis Science Academy | Middle | 6–8 | 686 |
| Western Hills Elementary School | Elementary | Pre-K–5 | 417 |
| Wheatley Alternative Education Center | Other | 1–12 | 55 |