Enrollment
499
Rhode Island · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Newport, RI
Frank E. Thompson Middle
Federal NCES profile for Frank E. Thompson Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 37/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 440072000155
👥 S:T ratio 67
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 50
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Frank E. Thompson Middle earns 37/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 97% of Rhode Island schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Rhode Island schools.
- #2 of 3
- public schools in Newport · Resource Index
- 37
- Resource Index · Typical
- 8.3:1
- small classes for Rhode Island
- 71.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Frank E. Thompson Middle has class sizes smaller than 97% of Rhode Island schools. Computed live against every Rhode Island school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Frank E. Thompson Middle ranks #2 of 3 public schools in Newport, RI.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
60.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
8.3:1
vs 13.8:1 Rhode Island avg
-40% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
71.4%
vs 39.6% Rhode Island avg
+80% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Frank E. Thompson Middle compares with Rhode Island and U.S. medians
What stands out at Frank E. Thompson Middle
Frank E. Thompson Middle is a higher-need, mid-sized elementary school in Newport, Rhode Island, enrolling 499 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 8.3:1, Frank E. Thompson Middle is leaner than roughly 97% of Rhode Island schools and 40% under the state's 13.8:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 71.4% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 499 puts it in the larger third of Rhode Island schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 308 scored Rhode Island schools.
Among 50 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Rhode Island schools statewide, it ranks #6, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (45%) and White (28%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 69/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 250 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 49.5% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Newport spends $24,290 per pupil, 20% above the Rhode Island average, a better-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 16.7% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Newport also operates Claiborne Pell Elementary (657 students) and Rogers High School (599 students) alongside Frank E. Thompson Middle.
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 Frank E. Thompson Middle compares
Frank E. Thompson Middle 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 | 8.3:1 | ▼ 40% | 13.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 71.4% | ▲ 80% | 39.6% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 499 | top 29% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
8.3:1
Leaner classes than 94% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
499
Bigger than 62% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
71.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 80% 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
8.3:1
students per teacher
- 40% below state mean
Top 3% in Rhode Island - lower ratio than 97% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
49.5%
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
$24,290
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
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 250 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 94 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 18.8 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 44.7%
White 28.3%
Two or More 13.0%
African American 10.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 2.2%
Asian 1.4%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 44.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 69.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 69.2, Frank E. Thompson Middle is more mixed than the Rhode Island school average of 47.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Newport, which includes Frank E. Thompson Middle.
$24,290
Per student
+20%
vs Rhode Island
Avg $20,315
+46%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 51.5%
State 31.8%
Federal 16.7%
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 Frank E. Thompson Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Claiborne Pell Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Rogers High School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Frank E. Thompson Middle's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 657
- Students per teacher
- 10:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 599
- Students per teacher
- 9.4:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
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 (~499 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~8.3:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Frank E. Thompson Middle's federal record.
- Compare Frank E. Thompson Middle against another school. Compare schools
- Newport'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 Frank E. Thompson Middle
How many students attend Frank E. Thompson Middle?
Frank E. Thompson Middle has 499 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Newport, RI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Frank E. Thompson Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Frank E. Thompson Middle is 8.3:1, which is 40% lower than the Rhode Island average of 13.8:1 and 47% 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 Frank E. Thompson Middle?
71.4% of students at Frank E. Thompson Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Rhode Island average of 39.6%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Frank E. Thompson Middle?
The largest demographic group at Frank E. Thompson Middle is Hispanic or Latino at 44.7% of enrollment, in Newport, RI. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 69.2/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Frank E. Thompson Middle?
Frank E. Thompson Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 37/100 (typical 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 Frank E. Thompson Middle rank among public schools in Newport?
By Resource Investment Index, Frank E. Thompson Middle ranks #2 of 3 public schools in Newport, RI. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Newport on the city page.
Is Frank E. Thompson Middle a good school?
Frank E. Thompson Middle earns 37/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 97% 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 Newport?
Besides Frank E. Thompson Middle, Newport also operates Claiborne Pell Elementary (657 students) and Rogers High School (599 students). See the Newport 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.