Enrollment
499
Rhode Island · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Elementary school (grades K-5) NCES 440072000155
Frank E. Thompson Middle — Newport, RI
Federal NCES profile for Frank E. Thompson Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 36/100.
👥 Class size 64
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 50
📋 Attendance 0
How this works: Each indicator above is scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC data, then averaged into the Resource Investment Index. This measures resource allocation — staffing, programs, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Full methodology →
School address
District: Newport · Rhode Island
Public location data per NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) Common Core of Data. Verify the school's current address on the NCES CCD record.
Teachers (FTE)
60.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
9.1:1
vs 13.4:1 Rhode Island avg
-32% 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
The federal record — no proprietary index, no editorial formula.
PlainSchools publishes the actual federal measurements — enrollment, staffing, demographics, discipline, and finance — straight from the NCES Common Core of Data, CRDC, and F-33 surveys. No composite rating, no opinion-based score on top. You get the same raw numbers researchers and policymakers use, with benchmarks, spending context, and equity indicators computed from the same federal datasets. Full methodology linked below.
What this school's NCES data tells you
Frank E. Thompson Middle reports 499 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 60.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 9.1:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 32% below the Rhode Island state mean of 13.4:1, signalling more teacher attention per pupil than the state benchmark. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 43% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 71.4% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 80% above the Rhode Island average and 38% above the national baseline. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 250 students per counselor, meeting the American School Counselor Association recommendation of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 49.5% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Newport spends $27,575 per pupil district-wide, above the Rhode Island average of $22,892 and above the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 51.5% from local sources (property taxes), 31.8% from the state, and 16.7% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 36/100 (F), calculated from 4 distinct NCES and CRDC indicators measuring resource allocation rather than academic outcomes.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Frank E. Thompson Middle compares
Cross-validating school-level NCES values against Rhode Island state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.
| Metric | This school | vs Rhode Island | Rhode Island avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 9.1:1 | ▼ 32% | 13.4:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 71.4% | ▲ 80% | 39.6% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 499 | top 71% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
What the federal data reveals about equity at this school
Federal measurements — not ratings — surface the resource and opportunity picture. Below are the indicators that researchers, civil-rights monitors, and funding formulas use to assess equity.
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
9.1:1
students per teacher
— 32% below state mean
Top 2% in Rhode Island — lower ratio than 98% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Engagement
49.5%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Chronic absenteeism at or above 20% — the CDC threshold for "high" — signals significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$27,575
per pupil, district-wide
— above Rhode Island avg of $22,892
Above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting 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
Enrollment 499 Top 71% in Rhode Island — larger than 29% of 309 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 60.0
Students per teacher 9.1:1 -32% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 71.4% +80% vs state
NCES ID 440072000155
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.
Programs & staff
Counselors (FTE) 2.0
Students per counselor 250:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 49.5%
In-school suspensions 0
Out-of-school suspensions 94
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Newport, which includes Frank E. Thompson Middle.
$27,575
Per student
+20%
vs Rhode Island
Avg $22,892
+41%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
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.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 657
- Students per teacher
- 10.6:1
- Enrollment
- 599
- Students per teacher
- 9.9:1
Educator & family resources
In-depth guides on understanding NCES data, school choice, and education funding.
Understanding NCES data
How CCD, CRDC and EDFacts feed every public-school number you see.
Choose a school district
Eight signals that matter more than the overall ranking number.
How schools are funded
Title I, F-33, state aid formulas and what per-pupil spending really means.
Chronic absenteeism
Why missing 10% of school matters and how it varies by district.
Magnet vs charter vs traditional
Three school types, three funding models, three sets of trade-offs.
School discipline data
What CRDC suspension and expulsion records do and don't reveal.
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 a 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 9.1:1, which is 32% lower than the Rhode Island average of 13.4:1 and 43% lower than the national average of 15.9:1. 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%. The school serves a diverse student body in Newport, RI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Frank E. Thompson Middle?
Frank E. Thompson Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 36/100 (F) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.