Enrollment
217
Rhode Island · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Cranston, RI
Daniel D. Waterman School
Federal NCES profile for Daniel D. Waterman School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 40/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 440024000046
👥 S:T ratio 38
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 53
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Daniel D. Waterman School earns 40/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 77% of Rhode Island schools.
- #4 of 13
- elementary schools in Cranston · Resource Index
- 40
- Resource Index · Typical
- 15.5:1
- large classes for Rhode Island
- 24.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Daniel D. Waterman School has class sizes larger than 77% of Rhode Island schools. Computed live against every Rhode Island school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Daniel D. Waterman School ranks #4 of 13 elementary schools in Cranston, RI.
School address
District: Cranston · Rhode Island
NCES ID 440024000046 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
14.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.5:1
vs 13.8:1 Rhode Island avg
+12% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
24.0%
vs 39.6% Rhode Island avg
-39% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Daniel D. Waterman School compares with Rhode Island and U.S. medians
What stands out at Daniel D. Waterman School
Daniel D. Waterman School is a small elementary school in Cranston, Rhode Island, enrolling 217 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 15.5:1 puts it in the larger third of Rhode Island schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 24.0% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 217 puts it in the smaller third of Rhode Island schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 308 scored Rhode Island schools.
Against 54 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #26.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 18.9% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Among Cranston's elementary schools, it stands alongside Garden City School (530 students): Daniel D. Waterman School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (15.5:1 vs 31.2:1).
Cranston also operates Cranston High School West (1,653 students) and Cranston High School East (1,525 students) alongside Daniel D. Waterman 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 Daniel D. Waterman School compares
Daniel D. Waterman 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 | 15.5:1 | ▲ 12% | 13.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 24.0% | ▼ 39% | 39.6% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 217 | top 85% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.5:1
Leaner classes than 42% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
217
Bigger than 21% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
24.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 39% below the Rhode Island average of 39.6%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
15.5:1
students per teacher
- 12% above state mean
Top 77% in Rhode Island - lower ratio than 23% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
18.9%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$17,810
per pupil, district-wide
- below Rhode Island avg of $20,315
Somewhat above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 9 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 4.6 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.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Cranston, which includes Daniel D. Waterman School.
$17,810
Per student
-12%
vs Rhode Island
Avg $20,315
+7%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 48.9%
State 40.3%
Federal 10.8%
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 Daniel D. Waterman School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cranston High School West | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Cranston High School East | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Western Hills Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Park View Middle School | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Garden City School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Daniel D. Waterman School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,653
- Students per teacher
- 15.3:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 1,525
- Students per teacher
- 12.7:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 727
- Students per teacher
- 13.2:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 711
- Students per teacher
- 12.5:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 530
- Students per teacher
- 31.2:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
Similar elementary schools in Cranston
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Garden City School
Standard public school
530 students 31.2:1 students per teacher
Achievement First Iluminar
Standard public school
465 students 12.9:1 students per teacher
Af Iluminar Mayoral Middle Sch
Standard public school
406 students 16.9:1 students per teacher
Gladstone Street School
Standard public school
402 students 10.6:1 students per teacher
Edward S. Rhodes School
Standard public school
287 students 15.9:1 students per teacher
Woodridge School
Standard public school
260 students 13.7:1 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 (~217 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Daniel D. Waterman School's federal record.
- Compare Daniel D. Waterman School against another school. Compare schools
- Cranston'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 Daniel D. Waterman School
How many students attend Daniel D. Waterman School?
Daniel D. Waterman School has 217 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Cranston, RI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Daniel D. Waterman School?
The student-teacher ratio at Daniel D. Waterman School is 15.5:1, which is 12% higher than the Rhode Island average of 13.8:1 and 1% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Daniel D. Waterman School?
24.0% of students at Daniel D. Waterman School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Rhode Island average of 39.6%.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Daniel D. Waterman School?
Daniel D. Waterman School has a Resource Investment Index of 40/100 (typical 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 Daniel D. Waterman School rank among elementary schools in Cranston?
By Resource Investment Index, Daniel D. Waterman School ranks #4 of 13 elementary schools in Cranston, 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 Cranston on the city page.
Is Daniel D. Waterman School a good school?
Daniel D. Waterman School earns 40/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 77% 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 Cranston?
Besides Daniel D. Waterman School, Cranston also operates Cranston High School West (1,653 students), Cranston High School East (1,525 students), and Western Hills Middle School (727 students). See the Cranston 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.