Westerly

Public school district · Washington County · Rhode Island · NCES district ID 4401170

Westerly spent $25,879 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23, more than 94% of the other Rhode Island districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 (median $20,044). Its 6 schools enrolled 2,095 students in 2024-25; 19.8% of its revenue came from the state. Census Bureau figures for 2023-24 put it at $27,086 per student, up 4.7% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year). Its four-year graduation rate for the class of 2023 was 85-89% (Rhode Island: 84.1%).

NCES F-33 finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23 · Census Bureau school finances 2023-24 · NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 · method

Spending per student among Rhode Island districts of similar size

Current spending per student excludes construction and debt. The 9 districts closest to Westerly in enrollment (1,971 to 2,596 students) and Westerly itself.

Current spending per student, Rhode Island districts closest in size to Westerly, FY23Westerly $25,879; South Kingstown $23,929; Central Falls $21,971; Middletown $21,349; Portsmouth $20,044; Burrillville $18,861; East Greenwich $18,615; Smithfield $18,082; Blackstone Valley Prep A RI Mayoral Academy $17,511; Achievement First Rhode Island $17,425; State median, 1,000+ students $20,044.15k20k25k30kWesterly$25,879South Kingstown$23,929Central Falls$21,971Middletown$21,349Portsmouth$20,044Burrillville$18,861East Greenwich$18,615Smithfield$18,082Blackstone Valley Prep A RI Ma…$17,511Achievement First Rhode Island$17,425State median, 1,000+ students $20,044
Current spending per student, Rhode Island districts closest in size to Westerly, FY23Westerly $25,879; South Kingstown $23,929; Central Falls $21,971; Middletown $21,349; Portsmouth $20,044; Burrillville $18,861; East Greenwich $18,615; Smithfield $18,082; Blackstone Valley Prep A RI Mayoral Academy $17,511; Achievement First Rhode Island $17,425; State median, 1,000+ students $20,044.15k20k25k30kWesterly$25,879South Kingstown$23,929Central Falls$21,971Middletown$21,349Portsmouth$20,044Burrillville$18,861East Greenwich$18,615Smithfield$18,082Blackstone Valley Prep A RI Mayoral…$17,511Achievement First Rhode Island$17,425State median, 1,000+ students $20,044
Current spending per student, Rhode Island districts closest in size to Westerly, FY23Westerly $25,879; South Kingstown $23,929; Central Falls $21,971; Middletown $21,349; Portsmouth $20,044; Burrillville $18,861; East Greenwich $18,615; Smithfield $18,082; Blackstone Valley Prep A RI Mayoral Academy $17,511; Achievement First Rhode Island $17,425; State median, 1,000+ students $20,044.15k20k25k30kWesterly$25,879South Kingstown$23,929Central Falls$21,971Middletown$21,349Portsmouth$20,044Burrillville$18,861East Greenwich$18,615Smithfield$18,082Blackstone Valley Prep A RI Mayoral Academy$17,511Achievement First Rhode Island$17,425State median, 1,000+ students $20,044
Current spending per student, Rhode Island districts closest in size to Westerly, FY23Westerly $25,879; South Kingstown $23,929; Central Falls $21,971; Middletown $21,349; Portsmouth $20,044; Burrillville $18,861; East Greenwich $18,615; Smithfield $18,082; Blackstone Valley Prep A RI Mayoral Academy $17,511; Achievement First Rhode Island $17,425; State median, 1,000+ students $20,044.15k20k25k30kWesterly$25,879South Kingstown$23,929Central Falls$21,971Middletown$21,349Portsmouth$20,044Burrillville$18,861East Greenwich$18,615Smithfield$18,082Blackstone Valley Prep A RI Mayoral Aca…$17,511Achievement First Rhode Island$17,425State median, 1,000+ students $20,044

Where the money came from

$69,846,000 in revenue: 19.8% state, 71.5% local and 8.8% federal. Total spending including $2,944,000 of capital outlay was $68,917,000, or $30,016 per student; the figure above leaves capital out.

Westerly revenue by source, fiscal year 2022-23State $13,818,000; Local $49,905,000; Federal $6,123,000; total $69,846,000.
  • State$13,818,000 20%
  • Local$49,905,000 71%
  • Federal$6,123,000 9%

Source: NCES F-33 school district finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23: current expenditures for elementary and secondary education divided by fall membership; the state median covers 33 districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022. Revenue by source (TOTALREV, TFEDREV, TSTREV, TLOCREV).

Enrollment fell from 2022-23 to 2024-25

2,242 students in 2022-23, 2,173 students in 2023-24, 2,095 students in 2024-25, counted across the schools that reported each year.

Westerly enrollment by school year2022-23: 2,242, 2023-24: 2,173, 2024-25: 2,09501k2k3k2022-232,2422023-242,1732024-252,095
Westerly enrollment by school year2022-23: 2,242, 2023-24: 2,173, 2024-25: 2,09501k2k3k2022-232,2422023-242,1732024-252,095
Westerly enrollment by school year2022-23: 2,242, 2023-24: 2,173, 2024-25: 2,09501k2k3k2022-232,2422023-242,1732024-252,095
Westerly enrollment by school year2022-23: 2,242, 2023-24: 2,173, 2024-25: 2,09501k2k3k2022-232,2422023-242,1732024-252,095

Teachers and students per teacher

School yearStudentsTeachers (FTE)Per teacher
2022-232,242210.510.7
2023-242,173210.010.3
2024-252,095207.010.1

Source: NCES Common Core of Data membership and staff files, 2022-23, 2023-24, 2024-25; sums over the schools reporting each year.

$19,589,000 in teacher salaries in fiscal year 2022-23, $8,532 per student

Westerly booked $19,589,000 of teacher salaries in its 2022-23 finance report and counted 213 full-time teachers in its Common Core of Data district staff file for 2022-23 (the school files behind the staffing figures on this page count teachers separately, so the two can differ), or $92,184 of salary spending per teacher. That is more than 82 in 100 Rhode Island districts with a figure (state median $84,165, 58 districts). It is spending, not what a teacher is paid: the salary lines and the teacher count come from different files, so the result can differ widely from the average salary the district publishes (its salary schedule gives pay); benefits are left out, and states book salaries differently, so compare districts within one state. For pay, the National Education Association put the average Rhode Island teacher salary at $76,852 in 2021-22 (NCES Digest table 211.60).

ProgramTeacher salariesShare
Regular programs$14,991,00076.5%
Special education$3,091,00015.8%
Vocational$1,023,0005.2%
Other programs$484,0002.5%

Teacher salaries per student, fiscal years 2018-19 to 2022-23

The district's teacher salary bill divided by its fall enrollment each year: $7,242 in 2018-19, $7,341 in 2019-20, $7,990 in 2020-21, $8,275 in 2021-22, $8,532 in 2022-23.

Westerly teacher salaries per student by fiscal year2018-19: $7,242, 2019-20: $7,341, 2020-21: $7,990, 2021-22: $8,275, 2022-23: $8,53202.5k5k7.5k10k2018-19$7,2422019-20$7,3412020-21$7,9902021-22$8,2752022-23$8,532
Westerly teacher salaries per student by fiscal year2018-19: $7,242, 2019-20: $7,341, 2020-21: $7,990, 2021-22: $8,275, 2022-23: $8,53202.5k5k7.5k10k2018-19$7,2422019-20$7,3412020-21$7,9902021-22$8,2752022-23$8,532
Westerly teacher salaries per student by fiscal year2018-19: $7,242, 2019-20: $7,341, 2020-21: $7,990, 2021-22: $8,275, 2022-23: $8,53202.5k5k7.5k10k2018-19$7,2422019-20$7,3412020-21$7,9902021-22$8,2752022-23$8,532
Westerly teacher salaries per student by fiscal year2018-19: $7,242, 2019-20: $7,341, 2020-21: $7,990, 2021-22: $8,275, 2022-23: $8,53202.5k5k7.5k10k2018-19$7,2422019-20$7,3412020-21$7,9902021-22$8,2752022-23$8,532

Source: NCES F-33 school district finance survey, fiscal years 2019 to 2023: teacher salaries in regular, special, vocational and other programs (Z35 to Z38) and fall membership (V33); NCES Common Core of Data LEA staff file 2022-23, teachers (full-time equivalent).

State test results, 2021-22

In 2021-22, the students tested in Westerly scored proficient or above: 43% in reading and 31% in math, against 33.1% in reading and 26.6% in math across Rhode Island. Each state writes its own test and sets its own proficiency bar, so compare these within Rhode Island, not across states.

Students proficient or above, 2021-22
SubjectThis districtRhode IslandStudents tested
Reading and language arts43%33.1%1,207
Math31%26.6%1,209

Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts state assessment results 2021-22, all students, from ED Data Express (the Data Rescue Project archive; ED has no 2022-23 result for this district): ED shows district results as ranges (for example 20-24%) to protect small groups.

Graduation rate, class of 2023

85-89% of the 179 students in Westerly's class of 2023 graduated within four years, against 84.1% across Rhode Island. The four-year rate follows the students who started ninth grade in fall 2019, adjusted for those who moved in or out, and counts those who earned a regular diploma by 2023. Every state computes it the same way under federal law, though each sets its own diploma requirements.

Four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rate, class of 2023
This districtRhode Island
Four-year graduation rate85‑89%84.1%
Students in the class17911,062

Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates 2022-23, all students, from ED Data Express: ED shows district rates as ranges (for example 90-94%) and leaves out small classes.

3 elementary schools, 719 students

SchoolStudentsPer teacherFree lunchTitle I, 2021‑22
Dunn's Corners School26410.226.5%Not Title I
Springbrook Elementary School2439.351.4%Schoolwide program
State Street School2129.637.7%Schoolwide program

Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.

1 middle school, 639 students

SchoolStudentsPer teacherFree lunchTitle I, 2021‑22
Westerly Middle School63911.035.8%Eligible, no program

Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.

1 high school, 650 students

SchoolStudentsPer teacherFree lunchTitle I, 2021‑22
Westerly High School6509.629.4%Eligible, no program

Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.

1 other school, 87 students

SchoolStudentsPer teacherFree lunchTitle I, 2021‑22
Westerly Inclusion Preschool P8712.437.9%Not Title I

Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.

Contact Westerly

  • Phone: (401) 315-1500
  • Office: 23 Highland Avenue, Westerly, RI 02891

Source: NCES Common Core of Data, local education agency directory 2024-25. Enrollment, boundaries and school assignment are the district's to confirm.

What to look at next about Westerly

  1. Rhode Island districts by spending per studentWesterly ranks 3 of 33 Rhode Island districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 on current spending per student in fiscal year 2022-23 ($25,879).#3 of 33
  2. Every school district in Rhode IslandWesterly is the number 22 by size of 64 Rhode Island districts, with 2,296 students in fall 2022 (F-33).#22 of 64
  3. SmithfieldThe next larger Rhode Island district: 2,415 students in fall 2022, $18,082 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$18,082
  4. Blackstone Valley Prep A RI Mayoral AcademyThe next smaller Rhode Island district: 2,197 students in fall 2022, $17,511 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$17,511
  5. Compare Westerly with SmithfieldEnrollment, spending, revenue sources and schools, side by side.
  6. Westerly High School, its largest high school650 students in 2024-25, 9.6 per teacher.650
  7. Teacher salary spending across Rhode IslandWesterly spent $92,184 in salaries per full-time teacher in fiscal year 2022-23 (state median $84,165); spending, not a salary.$92,184
  8. Find the school district for an addressA home's district decides which public schools it can enroll in.

Source: NCES F-33 finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23 (spending per student and fall 2022 membership; ranks among the state's districts that reported them); NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (schools).

Questions about Westerly

  1. How many schools and students are in Westerly?
    6 schools were open in 2024-25 (3 elementary, 1 middle, 1 high, 1 other), enrolling 2,095 students, according to the NCES Common Core of Data.
  2. How much does Westerly spend per student?
    $25,879 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23 (NCES F-33), which leaves out construction and debt; the Rhode Island median for districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 is $20,044 and the U.S. figure is $16,260. Census Bureau figures for 2023-24 put it at $27,086 per student, up 4.7% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year).
  3. Where does Westerly's money come from?
    $69,846,000 in revenue in fiscal year 2022-23: 19.8% state, 71.5% local and 8.8% federal (NCES F-33).
  4. How many children in Westerly live in poverty?
    The Census Bureau estimates that 235 of the 2,558 children aged 5 to 17 living within the district's boundaries in 2024, 9.2%, were in families in poverty (Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates). It is a model-based estimate for everyone living in the district, not a count of its students; the free-meal shares in the school tables are counts of enrolled students.
  5. How much does Westerly spend on teacher salaries?
    $19,589,000 in fiscal year 2022-23 (NCES F-33), or $8,532 per student. Divided by the 213 full-time teachers in the NCES Common Core of Data for 2022-23 that is $92,184 per teacher, more than 82 in 100 Rhode Island districts (state median $84,165). That is spending, not what a teacher is paid: the salary lines and the teacher count come from different files, and the result can differ widely from the average salary a district publishes. The district's salary schedule gives pay. For pay, the National Education Association put the average Rhode Island teacher salary at $76,852 in 2021-22 (NCES Digest table 211.60).
  6. How do students in Westerly do on state tests?
    In 2021-22, the students tested in Westerly scored proficient or above: 43% in reading and 31% in math, against 33.1% in reading and 26.6% in math across Rhode Island. Rhode Island's own test sets what proficient means, so results compare within the state, not across states. Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts state assessment results, 2021-22.
  7. What is the graduation rate in Westerly?
    85-89% of the 179 students in Westerly's class of 2023 graduated within four years, against 84.1% across Rhode Island. The four-year rate follows the students who started ninth grade in fall 2019, adjusted for those who moved in or out. Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates, 2022-23.
  8. What is Westerly's NCES district ID?
    4401170. Each of its schools' 12-digit NCES IDs begins with these seven digits.

Reading these figures: how to choose a school district, what Title I means and what an absenteeism rate means. They are for information and are not a substitute for the school's or district's own records.

Sources

Every federal file behind this record
  • NCES Common Core of Data, 2024-25: directory, membership, staff and lunch files. nces.ed.gov
  • NCES Common Core of Data, 2021-22 school characteristics: Title I status. nces.ed.gov
  • Civil Rights Data Collection, 2021-22: AP courses, gifted programs, counselors, discipline. civilrightsdata.ed.gov
  • EDFacts, 2022-23: chronic absenteeism. ed.gov
  • EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates, 2022-23: the class of 2023 for the district and its state (ED Data Express). eddataexpress.ed.gov
  • EDFacts state assessment results, 2021-22: reading and math proficiency for the district and its state (ED Data Express). eddataexpress.ed.gov
  • NCES Digest of Education Statistics, table 211.60 (2021-22): the state's average teacher salary, from the National Education Association. nces.ed.gov
  • U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates, 2024: children aged 5 to 17 and those in families in poverty, by school district. census.gov
  • U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances, fiscal year 2023-24: per pupil current spending for 2023-24 and 2022-23. census.gov
  • NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, fiscal year 2022-23: district spending and revenue. nces.ed.gov
  • U.S. Census Bureau geocoder and TIGER school districts: the district boundary used by the district finder. census.gov

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances Per pupil current spending by school system · FY 2023-24

Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey Revenue and expenditures by district · FY 2022-23

Source: NCES Common Core of Data School directory, membership, staff and lunch files · 2024-25

Compiled from official source data by .