Enrollment
409
Rhode Island · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Portsmouth, RI
Howard Hathaway School
Federal NCES profile for Howard Hathaway School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 44/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 440087000204
👥 S:T ratio 44
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 18
📋 Attendance 86
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Howard Hathaway School earns 44/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Rhode Island median.
- #3 of 4
- public schools in Portsmouth · Resource Index
- 44
- Resource Index · Typical
- 14.1:1
- students per teacher
- 14.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Howard Hathaway School has class sizes near the Rhode Island median. Computed live against every Rhode Island school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Howard Hathaway School ranks #3 of 4 public schools in Portsmouth, RI.
School address
District: Portsmouth · Rhode Island
NCES ID 440087000204 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
29.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.1:1
vs 13.8:1 Rhode Island avg
+2% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
14.9%
vs 39.6% Rhode Island avg
-62% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Howard Hathaway School compares with Rhode Island and U.S. medians
What stands out at Howard Hathaway School
Howard Hathaway School is a lower-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Portsmouth, Rhode Island, enrolling 409 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 14.1:1 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 14.9% of students eligible for free meals.
With 409 students, its enrollment sits close to the Rhode Island median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 308 scored Rhode Island schools.
Against 75 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #31.
Its student body is led by White (79%) and Hispanic or Latino (10%) (diversity index 36/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 409 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance holds up well here: only 5.6% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Among Portsmouth's elementary schools, it stands alongside Portsmouth Middle School (604 students): Howard Hathaway School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (14.1:1 vs 11:1).
Portsmouth also operates Portsmouth High School (785 students) and Portsmouth Middle School (604 students) alongside Howard Hathaway 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 Howard Hathaway School compares
Howard Hathaway 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 | 14.1:1 | ▲ 2% | 13.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 14.9% | ▼ 62% | 39.6% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 409 | top 42% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.1:1
Leaner classes than 56% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
409
Bigger than 49% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
14.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 62% 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
14.1:1
students per teacher
- 2% above state mean
Top 66% in Rhode Island - lower ratio than 34% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
5.6%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$18,687
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 409 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 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 78.7%
Hispanic or Latino 9.5%
Two or More 8.8%
Asian 1.5%
African American 1.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: White at 78.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 36.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 36.4, Howard Hathaway School is less mixed than the Rhode Island school average of 47.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Portsmouth, which includes Howard Hathaway School.
$18,687
Per student
-8%
vs Rhode Island
Avg $20,315
+13%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 78.4%
State 13.5%
Federal 8.1%
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 Howard Hathaway School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Portsmouth High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Portsmouth Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Melville School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Howard Hathaway School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 785
- Students per teacher
- 11.4:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 604
- Students per teacher
- 11:1
- Resource Index
- 55/100
- Enrollment
- 316
- Students per teacher
- 11.7:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
Similar elementary schools in Portsmouth
1 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
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 (~409 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~14.1:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Howard Hathaway School's federal record.
- Compare Howard Hathaway School against another school. Compare schools
- Portsmouth'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 Howard Hathaway School
How many students attend Howard Hathaway School?
Howard Hathaway School has 409 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Portsmouth, RI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Howard Hathaway School?
The student-teacher ratio at Howard Hathaway School is 14.1:1, which is 2% higher than the Rhode Island average of 13.8:1 and 10% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Howard Hathaway School?
14.9% of students at Howard Hathaway School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Rhode Island average of 39.6%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Howard Hathaway School?
The largest demographic group at Howard Hathaway School is White at 78.7% of enrollment, in Portsmouth, RI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Howard Hathaway School?
Howard Hathaway School has a Resource Investment Index of 44/100 (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 Howard Hathaway School rank among public schools in Portsmouth?
By Resource Investment Index, Howard Hathaway School ranks #3 of 4 public schools in Portsmouth, 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 Portsmouth on the city page.
Is Howard Hathaway School a good school?
Howard Hathaway School earns 44/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Rhode Island median. 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 Portsmouth?
Besides Howard Hathaway School, Portsmouth also operates Portsmouth High School (785 students), Portsmouth Middle School (604 students), and Melville School (316 students). See the Portsmouth 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.