Enrollment
158
Rhode Island · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Woonsocket, RI
Founders Academy
Federal NCES profile for Founders Academy, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 33/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 440000800493Charter school
👥 S:T ratio 37
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 32
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Founders Academy earns 33/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 81% of Rhode Island schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Rhode Island schools.
- #1 of 3
- middle schools in Woonsocket · Resource Index
- 33
- Resource Index · Typical
- 15.8:1
- large classes for Rhode Island
- 40.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Founders Academy has class sizes larger than 81% of Rhode Island schools. Computed live against every Rhode Island school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Founders Academy ranks #1 of 3 middle schools in Woonsocket, RI.
School address
District: Beacon Charter School · Rhode Island
NCES ID 440000800493 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
10.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.8:1
vs 13.8:1 Rhode Island avg
+14% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
40.5%
vs 39.6% Rhode Island avg
+2% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Founders Academy compares with Rhode Island and U.S. medians
What stands out at Founders Academy
Founders Academy is a small charter middle school in Woonsocket, Rhode Island, enrolling 158 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 15.8:1 puts it in the larger third of Rhode Island schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 40.5% lands close to the Rhode Island typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
This is a small campus: fewer students than 94% of Rhode Island schools, with 158 enrolled.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 308 scored Rhode Island schools.
Its student body is led by White (40%) and Hispanic or Latino (39%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 67/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 27.2% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Discipline events run high: 33 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 158 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Among Woonsocket's middle schools, it stands alongside Woonsocket Middle @ Villa Nova (542 students): Founders Academy is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (15.8:1 vs 9.2:1).
Its district, Beacon Charter School, also runs Beacon Charter School (203 students).
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 Founders Academy compares
Founders Academy 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 | 15.8:1 | ▲ 14% | 13.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 40.5% | ▲ 2% | 39.6% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 158 | top 94% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.8:1
Leaner classes than 40% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
158
Bigger than 15% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
40.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 2% 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
15.8:1
students per teacher
- 14% above state mean
Top 81% in Rhode Island - lower ratio than 19% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
27.2%
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
$16,541
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
10
in-school suspensions + 23 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 6.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 20.9 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
White 39.9%
Hispanic or Latino 38.6%
Two or More 11.4%
African American 8.9%
Asian 0.6%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.6%
Largest group: White at 39.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 67.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 67.1, Founders Academy is more mixed than the Rhode Island school average of 47.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Beacon Charter School, which includes Founders Academy.
$16,541
Per student
-19%
vs Rhode Island
Avg $20,315
0%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 28.1%
State 58.4%
Federal 13.5%
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 Founders Academy Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beacon Charter School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Founders Academy's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 203
- Students per teacher
- 11.9:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
Similar middle schools in Woonsocket
2 comparable middle schools (grades 6-8) serving the same city.
Similar middle 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 (~158 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~15.8:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Founders Academy's federal record.
- Compare Founders Academy against another school. Compare schools
- Beacon Charter School'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 Founders Academy
How many students attend Founders Academy?
Founders Academy has 158 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Woonsocket, RI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Founders Academy?
The student-teacher ratio at Founders Academy is 15.8:1, which is 14% higher than the Rhode Island average of 13.8:1 and 1% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Founders Academy?
40.5% of students at Founders Academy are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Rhode Island average of 39.6%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Founders Academy?
The largest demographic group at Founders Academy is White at 39.9% of enrollment, in Woonsocket, RI. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 67.1/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Founders Academy?
Founders Academy has a Resource Investment Index of 33/100 (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 Founders Academy rank among middle schools in Woonsocket?
By Resource Investment Index, Founders Academy ranks #1 of 3 middle schools in Woonsocket, RI. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all middle schools in Woonsocket on the city page.
Is Founders Academy a good school?
Founders Academy earns 33/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 81% of Rhode Island schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most 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 Beacon Charter School?
Besides Founders Academy, Beacon Charter School also operates Beacon Charter School (203 students). See the Beacon Charter School 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.