Enrollment
355
Rhode Island · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Pawtucket, RI
Cunningham School
Federal NCES profile for Cunningham School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 27/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 440084000190
👥 S:T ratio 51
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Cunningham School earns 27/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Rhode Island median.
- #5 of 7
- elementary schools in Pawtucket · Resource Index
- 27
- Resource Index · Lower
- 12.2:1
- students per teacher
- 66.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Cunningham School has class sizes near the Rhode Island median. Computed live against every Rhode Island school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Cunningham School ranks #5 of 7 elementary schools in Pawtucket, RI.
School address
District: Pawtucket · Rhode Island
NCES ID 440084000190 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
29.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.2:1
vs 13.8:1 Rhode Island avg
-12% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
66.1%
vs 39.6% Rhode Island avg
+67% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Cunningham School compares with Rhode Island and U.S. medians
What stands out at Cunningham School
Cunningham School is a higher-need, mid-sized elementary school in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, enrolling 355 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 12.2:1 puts it in the smaller third of Rhode Island schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 66.1% of students eligible for free meals.
With 355 students, its enrollment sits close to the Rhode Island median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 308 scored Rhode Island schools.
Against 44 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #22.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (45%) and African American (36%) (diversity index 65/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 50.1% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 16.2% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Pawtucket's elementary schools, it stands alongside Potter-Burns School (430 students): Cunningham School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (12.2:1 vs 13.4:1).
Pawtucket also operates William E. Tolman High (995 students) and Charles E. Shea High School (770 students) alongside Cunningham 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 Cunningham School compares
Cunningham 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 | 12.2:1 | ▼ 12% | 13.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 66.1% | ▲ 67% | 39.6% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 355 | top 53% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.2:1
Leaner classes than 74% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
355
Bigger than 40% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
66.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 67% above the Rhode Island average of 39.6%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
12.2:1
students per teacher
- 12% below state mean
Top 36% in Rhode Island - lower ratio than 64% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
50.1%
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
$17,139
per pupil, district-wide
- below Rhode Island avg of $20,315
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.3 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 45.4%
African American 35.9%
White 11.1%
Two or More 5.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 1.0%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 45.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 64.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 64.9, Cunningham School is more mixed than the Rhode Island school average of 47.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Pawtucket, which includes Cunningham School.
$17,139
Per student
-16%
vs Rhode Island
Avg $20,315
+3%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 20.0%
State 63.7%
Federal 16.2%
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 Cunningham School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| William E. Tolman High | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Charles E. Shea High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Joseph Jenks Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Lyman B. Goff Middle School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Samuel Slater Middle School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Cunningham School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 995
- Students per teacher
- 13.4:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 770
- Students per teacher
- 12:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 697
- Students per teacher
- 14.5:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
- Enrollment
- 637
- Students per teacher
- 13.6:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 590
- Students per teacher
- 12.6:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
Similar elementary schools in Pawtucket
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Potter-Burns School
Standard public school
430 students 13.4:1 students per teacher
International Charter School
Standard public school
377 students 15.1:1 students per teacher
Curvin-Mccabe School
Standard public school
353 students 11.8:1 students per teacher
Agnes E. Little School
Standard public school
320 students 11.4:1 students per teacher
Elizabeth Baldwin School
Standard public school
320 students 11.9:1 students per teacher
Francis J. Varieur School
Standard public school
270 students 13.5:1 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 (~355 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Cunningham School's federal record.
- Compare Cunningham School against another school. Compare schools
- Pawtucket'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 Cunningham School
How many students attend Cunningham School?
Cunningham School has 355 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Pawtucket, RI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Cunningham School?
The student-teacher ratio at Cunningham School is 12.2:1, which is 12% lower than the Rhode Island average of 13.8:1 and 22% lower than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Cunningham School?
66.1% of students at Cunningham School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Rhode Island average of 39.6%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Cunningham School?
The largest demographic group at Cunningham School is Hispanic or Latino at 45.4% of enrollment, in Pawtucket, RI. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 64.9/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Cunningham School?
Cunningham School has a Resource Investment Index of 27/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Cunningham School rank among elementary schools in Pawtucket?
By Resource Investment Index, Cunningham School ranks #5 of 7 elementary schools in Pawtucket, 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 Pawtucket on the city page.
Is Cunningham School a good school?
Cunningham School earns 27/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Rhode Island median. 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 Pawtucket?
Besides Cunningham School, Pawtucket also operates William E. Tolman High (995 students), Charles E. Shea High School (770 students), and Joseph Jenks Middle School (697 students). See the Pawtucket 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.