Enrollment
358
Rhode Island · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Providence, RI
Paul Cuffee Lower School
Federal NCES profile for Paul Cuffee Lower School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 27/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 440003200520Charter school
👥 S:T ratio 52
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Paul Cuffee Lower School earns 27/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Rhode Island median.
- #7 of 26
- elementary schools in Providence · Resource Index
- 27
- Resource Index · Lower
- 11.9:1
- students per teacher
- 68.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Paul Cuffee Lower School has class sizes near the Rhode Island median. Computed live against every Rhode Island school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Paul Cuffee Lower School ranks #7 of 26 elementary schools in Providence, RI.
School address
District: Paul Cuffee Charter Sch · Rhode Island
NCES ID 440003200520 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
30.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
11.9:1
vs 13.8:1 Rhode Island avg
-14% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
68.0%
vs 39.6% Rhode Island avg
+72% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Paul Cuffee Lower School compares with Rhode Island and U.S. medians
What stands out at Paul Cuffee Lower School
Paul Cuffee Lower School is a higher-need, mid-sized charter elementary school in Providence, Rhode Island, enrolling 358 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 11.9:1 puts it in the smaller third of Rhode Island schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 68.0% of students eligible for free meals.
With 358 students, its enrollment sits close to the Rhode Island median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 308 scored Rhode Island schools.
Against 45 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #21.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (70%) and African American (18%) (diversity index 48/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 45.0% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 15.7% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 1 expulsion at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Providence's elementary schools, it stands alongside Alfred Lima Sr. El School (662 students): Paul Cuffee Lower School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (11.9:1 vs 16.1:1).
Paul Cuffee Charter Sch also operates Paul Cuffee Upper School (243 students) and Paul Cuffee Middle School (189 students) alongside Paul Cuffee Lower 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 Paul Cuffee Lower School compares
Paul Cuffee Lower 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 | 11.9:1 | ▼ 14% | 13.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 68.0% | ▲ 72% | 39.6% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 358 | top 52% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
11.9:1
Leaner classes than 76% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
358
Bigger than 41% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
68.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 72% 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
11.9:1
students per teacher
- 14% below state mean
Top 31% in Rhode Island - lower ratio than 69% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
45.0%
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
$21,357
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
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 15 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 4.2 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 1 expulsion.
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 69.8%
African American 18.2%
Two or More 4.2%
White 3.9%
Asian 1.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.7%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.6%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 69.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 47.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 47.6, Paul Cuffee Lower School is about as mixed as the Rhode Island school average of 47.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Paul Cuffee Charter Sch, which includes Paul Cuffee Lower School.
$21,357
Per student
+5%
vs Rhode Island
Avg $20,315
+29%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 22.3%
State 62.0%
Federal 15.7%
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 Paul Cuffee Lower School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paul Cuffee Upper School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Paul Cuffee Middle School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Paul Cuffee Lower School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 243
- Students per teacher
- 9.3:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 189
- Students per teacher
- 12.6:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
Similar elementary schools in Providence
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Alfred Lima Sr. El School
Standard public school
662 students 16.1:1 students per teacher
Frank D. Spaziano Elem School
Standard public school
588 students 22.6:1 students per teacher
Achievement First Promesa
Standard public school
548 students 20.3:1 students per teacher
West Broadway Middle School
Standard public school
516 students 15.6:1 students per teacher
George J. West El. School
Standard public school
502 students 14.3:1 students per teacher
Carl G. Lauro El. School
Standard public school
475 students 11:1 students per teacher
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 (~358 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Paul Cuffee Lower School's federal record.
- Compare Paul Cuffee Lower School against another school. Compare schools
- Paul Cuffee Charter Sch'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 Paul Cuffee Lower School
How many students attend Paul Cuffee Lower School?
Paul Cuffee Lower School has 358 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Providence, RI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Paul Cuffee Lower School?
The student-teacher ratio at Paul Cuffee Lower School is 11.9:1, which is 14% lower than the Rhode Island average of 13.8:1 and 24% 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 Paul Cuffee Lower School?
68.0% of students at Paul Cuffee Lower School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Rhode Island average of 39.6%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Paul Cuffee Lower School?
The largest demographic group at Paul Cuffee Lower School is Hispanic or Latino at 69.8% of enrollment, in Providence, RI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Paul Cuffee Lower School?
Paul Cuffee Lower School has a Resource Investment Index of 27/100 (lower 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 Paul Cuffee Lower School rank among elementary schools in Providence?
By Resource Investment Index, Paul Cuffee Lower School ranks #7 of 26 elementary schools in Providence, RI. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Providence on the city page.
Is Paul Cuffee Lower School a good school?
Paul Cuffee Lower School earns 27/100 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 Paul Cuffee Charter Sch?
Besides Paul Cuffee Lower School, Paul Cuffee Charter Sch also operates Paul Cuffee Upper School (243 students) and Paul Cuffee Middle School (189 students). See the Paul Cuffee Charter Sch 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.