Enrollment
662
Rhode Island · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Providence, RI
Alfred Lima Sr. El School
Federal NCES profile for Alfred Lima Sr. El School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 16/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 440090000124
👥 S:T ratio 36
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Alfred Lima Sr. El School earns 16/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 83% of Rhode Island schools.
- #21 of 26
- elementary schools in Providence · Resource Index
- 16
- Resource Index · Lower
- 16.1:1
- large classes for Rhode Island
- 73.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Alfred Lima Sr. El School has class sizes larger than 83% of Rhode Island schools. Computed live against every Rhode Island school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Alfred Lima Sr. El School ranks #21 of 26 elementary schools in Providence, RI.
School address
District: Providence · Rhode Island
NCES ID 440090000124 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
41.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.1:1
vs 13.8:1 Rhode Island avg
+17% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
73.2%
vs 39.6% Rhode Island avg
+85% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Alfred Lima Sr. El School compares with Rhode Island and U.S. medians
What stands out at Alfred Lima Sr. El School
Alfred Lima Sr. El School is a higher-need, mid-sized elementary school in Providence, Rhode Island, enrolling 662 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 16.1:1 puts it in the larger third of Rhode Island schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need is high: 73.2% of students qualify for free meals, 85% above the Rhode Island average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
Enrollment of 662 puts it in the larger third of Rhode Island schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 97% of the 308 Rhode Island schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 43 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Rhode Island schools statewide, it ranks #38, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (79%) and African American (9%) (diversity index 36/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 662 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 41.8% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 16.8% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Providence's elementary schools, it stands alongside Frank D. Spaziano Elem School (588 students): Alfred Lima Sr. El School is larger than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (16.1:1 vs 22.6:1).
Providence also operates Classical High School (1,116 students) and Central High School (1,050 students) alongside Alfred Lima Sr. El School.
Sourced from NCES CCD, CRDC, and F-33 (federal records, not a quality verdict). How we source and compute this.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Alfred Lima Sr. El School compares
Alfred Lima Sr. El School on the metrics families compare, against Rhode Island and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Rhode Island | Rhode Island avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 16.1:1 | ▲ 17% | 13.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 73.2% | ▲ 85% | 39.6% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 662 | top 16% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.1:1
Leaner classes than 37% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
662
Bigger than 78% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
73.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 85% above the Rhode Island average of 39.6%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
16.1:1
students per teacher
- 17% above state mean
Top 83% in Rhode Island - lower ratio than 17% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
41.8%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
At or above 20%, the commonly used threshold for "high" chronic absenteeism, signaling significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$22,536
per pupil, district-wide
- above Rhode Island avg of $20,315
Well above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting substantially higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 662 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 3 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.5 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
- Common Core of Data (June 2026): enrollment, staffing, and the student-teacher ratio above.
- Civil Rights Data Collection: discipline counts and program access (AP, gifted, special education).
- F-33 School District Finance Survey: the district-wide per-pupil spending figures below.
Three separate federal collections, each on its own reporting cadence - which is why this school's numbers line up on a consistent basis against every other school and state on this site, rather than mixing figures pulled from different survey years.
Student demographics
Hispanic or Latino 79.4%
African American 8.8%
White 4.8%
Asian 3.0%
Two or More 2.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.4%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.6%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 79.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 35.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 35.8, Alfred Lima Sr. El School is less mixed than the Rhode Island school average of 47.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Providence, which includes Alfred Lima Sr. El School.
$22,536
Per student
+11%
vs Rhode Island
Avg $20,315
+36%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 25.2%
State 57.9%
Federal 16.8%
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2021-22 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.
How Alfred Lima Sr. El School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Classical High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Central High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Mount Pleasant High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Governor Christopher Delsesto | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Nathanael Greene Middle | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Alfred Lima Sr. El School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,116
- Students per teacher
- 17.4:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
- Enrollment
- 1,050
- Students per teacher
- 13.3:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 997
- Students per teacher
- 13.1:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 818
- Students per teacher
- 18.6:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
- Enrollment
- 815
- Students per teacher
- 15.7:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
Similar elementary schools in Providence
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Frank D. Spaziano Elem School
Standard public school
588 students 22.6:1 students per teacher
Achievement First Promesa
Standard public school
548 students 20.3:1 students per teacher
West Broadway Middle School
Standard public school
516 students 15.6:1 students per teacher
George J. West El. School
Standard public school
502 students 14.3:1 students per teacher
Carl G. Lauro El. School
Standard public school
475 students 11:1 students per teacher
Achievement First Providence
Standard public school
460 students 17:1 students per teacher
Similar elementary schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Rhode Island, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~662 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~16.1:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Alfred Lima Sr. El School's federal record.
- Compare Alfred Lima Sr. El School against another school. Compare schools
- Providence's spending and staffing shape this school. District profile
- Confirm current enrollment and boundaries with the school. Choosing guide
Federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) - PlainSchools assigns no subjective rating; the composite quality score is a transparent, reproducible index computed from this cited federal data.
Frequently asked questions about Alfred Lima Sr. El School
How many students attend Alfred Lima Sr. El School?
Alfred Lima Sr. El School has 662 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Providence, RI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Alfred Lima Sr. El School?
The student-teacher ratio at Alfred Lima Sr. El School is 16.1:1, which is 17% higher than the Rhode Island average of 13.8:1 and 3% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Alfred Lima Sr. El School?
73.2% of students at Alfred Lima Sr. El School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Rhode Island average of 39.6%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Alfred Lima Sr. El School?
The largest demographic group at Alfred Lima Sr. El School is Hispanic or Latino at 79.4% of enrollment, in Providence, RI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Alfred Lima Sr. El School?
Alfred Lima Sr. El School has a Resource Investment Index of 16/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Alfred Lima Sr. El School rank among elementary schools in Providence?
By Resource Investment Index, Alfred Lima Sr. El School ranks #21 of 26 elementary schools in Providence, RI. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Providence on the city page.
Is Alfred Lima Sr. El School a good school?
Alfred Lima Sr. El School earns 16/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 83% of Rhode Island schools. This is a resource snapshot, not an academic rating; see the Resource Investment Index question above for what the number does and doesn't measure.
What other schools are in Providence?
Besides Alfred Lima Sr. El School, Providence also operates Classical High School (1,116 students), Central High School (1,050 students), and Mount Pleasant High (997 students). See the Providence district page for the complete list.
Related tools
Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. Each school's figures reflect its most recent NCES/CRDC submission on file. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.