Providence
Public school district · Providence County · Rhode Island · NCES district ID 4400900
Providence spent $24,733 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23, more than 91% of the other Rhode Island districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 (median $20,044). Its 35 schools enrolled 19,472 students in 2024-25; 54.4% of its revenue came from the state. Census Bureau figures for 2023-24 put it at $27,473 per student, up 11.1% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year). Its four-year graduation rate for the class of 2023 was 77% (Rhode Island: 84.1%).
NCES F-33 finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23 · Census Bureau school finances 2023-24 · NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 · method
Spending per student among Rhode Island's largest districts
Current spending per student excludes construction and debt. Among the 10 districts shown, Providence ranks 1.
Where the money came from
$625,103,000 in revenue: 54.4% state, 23.3% local and 22.3% federal. Total spending including $17,570,000 of capital outlay was $605,663,000, or $29,224 per student; the figure above leaves capital out.
- State$339,823,000 54%
- Local$145,603,000 23%
- Federal$139,677,000 22%
Source: NCES F-33 school district finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23: current expenditures for elementary and secondary education divided by fall membership; the state median covers 33 districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022. Revenue by source (TOTALREV, TFEDREV, TSTREV, TLOCREV).
Enrollment fell from 2022-23 to 2024-25
20,463 students in 2022-23, 19,504 students in 2023-24, 19,472 students in 2024-25, counted across the schools that reported each year.
Teachers and students per teacher
| School year | Students | Teachers (FTE) | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-23 | 20,463 | 1451.6 | 14.1 |
| 2023-24 | 19,504 | 1379.0 | 14.1 |
| 2024-25 | 19,472 | 1282.0 | 15.2 |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data membership and staff files, 2022-23, 2023-24, 2024-25; sums over the schools reporting each year.
$140,566,000 in teacher salaries in fiscal year 2022-23, $6,782 per student
Providence booked $140,566,000 of teacher salaries in its 2022-23 finance report and counted 1,511 full-time teachers in its Common Core of Data district staff file for 2022-23 (the school files behind the staffing figures on this page count teachers separately, so the two can differ), or $93,021 of salary spending per teacher. That is more than 89 in 100 Rhode Island districts with a figure (state median $84,165, 58 districts). It is spending, not what a teacher is paid: the salary lines and the teacher count come from different files, so the result can differ widely from the average salary the district publishes (its salary schedule gives pay); benefits are left out, and states book salaries differently, so compare districts within one state. For pay, the National Education Association put the average Rhode Island teacher salary at $76,852 in 2021-22 (NCES Digest table 211.60).
| Program | Teacher salaries | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Regular programs | $73,490,000 | 52.3% |
| Special education | $27,140,000 | 19.3% |
| Vocational | $3,157,000 | 2.2% |
| Other programs | $36,779,000 | 26.2% |
Teacher salaries per student, fiscal years 2018-19 to 2022-23
The district's teacher salary bill divided by its fall enrollment each year: $5,218 in 2018-19, $5,463 in 2019-20, $6,092 in 2020-21, $6,615 in 2021-22, $6,782 in 2022-23.
Source: NCES F-33 school district finance survey, fiscal years 2019 to 2023: teacher salaries in regular, special, vocational and other programs (Z35 to Z38) and fall membership (V33); NCES Common Core of Data LEA staff file 2022-23, teachers (full-time equivalent).
State test results, 2021-22
In 2021-22, the students tested in Providence scored proficient or above: 15% in reading and 10% in math, against 33.1% in reading and 26.6% in math across Rhode Island. Each state writes its own test and sets its own proficiency bar, so compare these within Rhode Island, not across states.
| Subject | This district | Rhode Island | Students tested |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading and language arts | 15% | 33.1% | 10,848 |
| Math | 10% | 26.6% | 10,996 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts state assessment results 2021-22, all students, from ED Data Express (the Data Rescue Project archive; ED has no 2022-23 result for this district): ED shows district results as ranges (for example 20-24%) to protect small groups.
Graduation rate, class of 2023
77% of the 1,803 students in Providence's class of 2023 graduated within four years, against 84.1% across Rhode Island. The four-year rate follows the students who started ninth grade in fall 2019, adjusted for those who moved in or out, and counts those who earned a regular diploma by 2023. Every state computes it the same way under federal law, though each sets its own diploma requirements.
| This district | Rhode Island | |
|---|---|---|
| Four-year graduation rate | 77% | 84.1% |
| Students in the class | 1,803 | 11,062 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates 2022-23, all students, from ED Data Express: ED shows district rates as ranges (for example 90-94%) and leaves out small classes.
20 elementary schools, 8,870 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alfred Lima Sr. El School | 662 | 17.0 | 79.8% | Schoolwide program |
| Cornel Young & Charlotte Woods | 635 | 15.5 | 76.9% | Schoolwide program |
| Frank D. Spaziano Elementary School | 588 | 19.0 | 78.2% | Schoolwide program |
| Asa Messer El. School | 557 | 18.0 | 77.2% | Schoolwide program |
| Anthony Carnevale Elementary | 519 | 13.3 | 77.1% | Schoolwide program |
| George J. West El. School | 502 | 12.9 | 83.1% | Schoolwide program |
| Robert F. Kennedy El. School | 451 | 19.6 | 62.5% | Schoolwide program |
| Robert L. Bailey IV | 444 | 14.8 | 82.7% | Schoolwide program |
| Veazie Street School | 440 | 15.2 | 75.0% | Schoolwide program |
| Harry Kizirian Elementary | 434 | 16.7 | 80.9% | Schoolwide program |
| Pleasant View School | 433 | 11.1 | 69.5% | Schoolwide program |
| Martin Luther King El. School | 430 | 17.2 | 68.6% | Schoolwide program |
The other 8 elementary schools
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mary E. Fogarty El. School | 430 | 17.9 | 83.7% | Schoolwide program |
| Lillian Feinstein El. School | 429 | 17.9 | 76.2% | Schoolwide program |
| William D'Abate Elementary School | 398 | 17.3 | 80.7% | Schoolwide program |
| Times2 Elementary School | 322 | 11.1 | 74.2% | Schoolwide program |
| Vartan Gregorian El. School | 311 | 15.6 | 37.3% | Schoolwide program |
| Webster Avenue School | 308 | 15.4 | 74.4% | Schoolwide program |
| Reservoir Avenue School | 289 | 18.1 | 81.0% | Schoolwide program |
| Leviton Dual Language School | 288 | 16.9 | 72.2% | Schoolwide program |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.
6 middle schools, 4,052 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Governor Christopher DelSesto | 818 | 17.0 | 78.7% | Schoolwide program |
| Nathanael Greene Middle | 815 | 15.1 | 77.3% | Schoolwide program |
| Roger Williams Middle | 786 | 14.6 | 82.4% | Schoolwide program |
| Nathan Bishop Middle | 719 | 16.3 | 71.2% | Schoolwide program |
| West Broadway Middle School | 516 | 15.6 | 78.1% | Schoolwide program |
| Esek Hopkins Middle | 398 | 14.7 | 83.4% | Schoolwide program |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.
9 high schools, 6,550 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Classical High School | 1,116 | 17.2 | 49.9% | Schoolwide program |
| Central High School | 1,050 | 16.7 | 72.5% | Schoolwide program |
| Mount Pleasant High | 997 | 16.1 | 79.6% | Schoolwide program |
| Hope High School | 775 | 12.3 | 75.2% | Schoolwide program |
| Providence Career Technical | 759 | 12.2 | 73.3% | Schoolwide program |
| W B Cooley & Acad Internationa | 685 | 13.4 | 72.8% | Schoolwide program |
| Dr. Jorge Alvarez High School | 447 | 14.4 | 70.9% | Schoolwide program |
| Times2 Middle/High School | 383 | 12.4 | 64.8% | Schoolwide program |
| E-Cubed Academy | 338 | 11.7 | 76.9% | Schoolwide program |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.
4 more schools on file: small, closed or in an earlier directory
These records carry fewer federal fields than a full school page needs, so each is summarized here with what NCES reports.
Gilbert Stuart Middle School
Middle school in Providence; last listed in the 2024-25 NCES directory (closed); 683 students; 12.5 students per teacher.
Carl G. Lauro El. School
Elementary school in Providence; 475 students; 10.9 students per teacher.
360 High School
High school in Providence; last listed in the 2024-25 NCES directory (closed); 335 students; 12.6 students per teacher.
Alan Shawn Feinstein Elementary
Elementary school in Providence; 277 students; 16.6 students per teacher.
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 and earlier directories: the last year each school was listed, its students and its teachers.
Contact Providence
- Phone: (401) 456-9211
- Office: 797 Westminster Street, Providence, RI 02903
Source: NCES Common Core of Data, local education agency directory 2024-25. Enrollment, boundaries and school assignment are the district's to confirm.
What to look at next about Providence
- Rhode Island districts by spending per studentProvidence ranks 4 of 33 Rhode Island districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 on current spending per student in fiscal year 2022-23 ($24,733).#4 of 33
- Every school district in Rhode IslandProvidence is the largest of 64 Rhode Island districts, with 20,725 students in fall 2022 (F-33).#1 of 64
- CranstonThe next smaller Rhode Island district: 10,225 students in fall 2022, $18,884 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$18,884
- Compare Providence with CranstonEnrollment, spending, revenue sources and schools, side by side.
- Classical High School, its largest high school1,116 students in 2024-25, 17.2 per teacher.1,116
- Teacher salary spending across Rhode IslandProvidence spent $93,021 in salaries per full-time teacher in fiscal year 2022-23 (state median $84,165); spending, not a salary.$93,021
- Find the school district for an addressA home's district decides which public schools it can enroll in.
Source: NCES F-33 finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23 (spending per student and fall 2022 membership; ranks among the state's districts that reported them); NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (schools).
Questions about Providence
How many schools and students are in Providence?
35 schools were open in 2024-25 (20 elementary, 6 middle, 9 high), enrolling 19,472 students, according to the NCES Common Core of Data.How much does Providence spend per student?
$24,733 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23 (NCES F-33), which leaves out construction and debt; the Rhode Island median for districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 is $20,044 and the U.S. figure is $16,260. Census Bureau figures for 2023-24 put it at $27,473 per student, up 11.1% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year).Where does Providence's money come from?
$625,103,000 in revenue in fiscal year 2022-23: 54.4% state, 23.3% local and 22.3% federal (NCES F-33).How many children in Providence live in poverty?
The Census Bureau estimates that 7,672 of the 29,296 children aged 5 to 17 living within the district's boundaries in 2024, 26.2%, were in families in poverty (Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates). It is a model-based estimate for everyone living in the district, not a count of its students; the free-meal shares in the school tables are counts of enrolled students.How much does Providence spend on teacher salaries?
$140,566,000 in fiscal year 2022-23 (NCES F-33), or $6,782 per student. Divided by the 1,511 full-time teachers in the NCES Common Core of Data for 2022-23 that is $93,021 per teacher, more than 89 in 100 Rhode Island districts (state median $84,165). That is spending, not what a teacher is paid: the salary lines and the teacher count come from different files, and the result can differ widely from the average salary a district publishes. The district's salary schedule gives pay. For pay, the National Education Association put the average Rhode Island teacher salary at $76,852 in 2021-22 (NCES Digest table 211.60).How do students in Providence do on state tests?
In 2021-22, the students tested in Providence scored proficient or above: 15% in reading and 10% in math, against 33.1% in reading and 26.6% in math across Rhode Island. Rhode Island's own test sets what proficient means, so results compare within the state, not across states. Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts state assessment results, 2021-22.What is the graduation rate in Providence?
77% of the 1,803 students in Providence's class of 2023 graduated within four years, against 84.1% across Rhode Island. The four-year rate follows the students who started ninth grade in fall 2019, adjusted for those who moved in or out. Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates, 2022-23.What is Providence's NCES district ID?
4400900. Each of its schools' 12-digit NCES IDs begins with these seven digits.
Reading these figures: how to choose a school district, what Title I means and what an absenteeism rate means. They are for information and are not a substitute for the school's or district's own records.
Sources
Every federal file behind this record
- NCES Common Core of Data, 2024-25: directory, membership, staff and lunch files. nces.ed.gov
- NCES Common Core of Data, 2021-22 school characteristics: Title I status. nces.ed.gov
- Civil Rights Data Collection, 2021-22: AP courses, gifted programs, counselors, discipline. civilrightsdata.ed.gov
- EDFacts, 2022-23: chronic absenteeism. ed.gov
- EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates, 2022-23: the class of 2023 for the district and its state (ED Data Express). eddataexpress.ed.gov
- EDFacts state assessment results, 2021-22: reading and math proficiency for the district and its state (ED Data Express). eddataexpress.ed.gov
- NCES Digest of Education Statistics, table 211.60 (2021-22): the state's average teacher salary, from the National Education Association. nces.ed.gov
- U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates, 2024: children aged 5 to 17 and those in families in poverty, by school district. census.gov
- U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances, fiscal year 2023-24: per pupil current spending for 2023-24 and 2022-23. census.gov
- NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, fiscal year 2022-23: district spending and revenue. nces.ed.gov
- U.S. Census Bureau geocoder and TIGER school districts: the district boundary used by the district finder. census.gov
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances Per pupil current spending by school system · FY 2023-24
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey Revenue and expenditures by district · FY 2022-23
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School directory, membership, staff and lunch files · 2024-25