Enrollment
189
Rhode Island · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Providence, RI
Paul Cuffee Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Paul Cuffee Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 29/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 440003200525Charter school
👥 S:T ratio 50
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 8
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Paul Cuffee Middle School earns 29/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Rhode Island median.
- #6 of 8
- middle schools in Providence · Resource Index
- 29
- Resource Index · Lower
- 12.6:1
- students per teacher
- 65.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Paul Cuffee Middle 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 Middle School ranks #6 of 8 middle schools in Providence, RI.
School address
District: Paul Cuffee Charter Sch · Rhode Island
NCES ID 440003200525 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
15.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.6:1
vs 13.8:1 Rhode Island avg
-9% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
65.9%
vs 39.6% Rhode Island avg
+66% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Paul Cuffee Middle School compares with Rhode Island and U.S. medians
What stands out at Paul Cuffee Middle School
Paul Cuffee Middle School is a higher-need, small charter middle school in Providence, Rhode Island, enrolling 189 students.
At 12.6:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Rhode Island median, within a few percentage points of the 13.8:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 65.9% of students eligible for free meals.
This is a small campus: fewer students than 91% of Rhode Island schools, with 189 enrolled.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 308 scored Rhode Island schools.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (76%) and African American (15%) (diversity index 40/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 37.0% 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.
Discipline events run high: 40 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 189 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Among Providence's middle schools, it stands alongside Governor Christopher Delsesto (818 students): Paul Cuffee Middle School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (12.6:1 vs 18.6:1).
Paul Cuffee Charter Sch also operates Paul Cuffee Lower School (358 students) and Paul Cuffee Upper School (243 students) alongside Paul Cuffee Middle 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 Middle School compares
Paul Cuffee Middle 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 | 12.6:1 | ▼ 9% | 13.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 65.9% | ▲ 66% | 39.6% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 189 | top 91% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.6:1
Leaner classes than 70% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
189
Bigger than 18% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
65.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 66% 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
12.6:1
students per teacher
- 9% below state mean
Top 43% in Rhode Island - lower ratio than 57% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
37.0%
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
3
in-school suspensions + 37 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 21.2 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 75.7%
African American 14.8%
Two or More 6.3%
White 2.1%
Asian 1.1%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 75.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 40.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 40.1, Paul Cuffee Middle School is less mixed than 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 Middle 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 Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paul Cuffee Lower School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Paul Cuffee Upper School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Paul Cuffee Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 358
- Students per teacher
- 11.9:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
- Enrollment
- 243
- Students per teacher
- 9.3:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
Similar middle schools in Providence
6 comparable middle schools (grades 6-8) serving the same city.
Governor Christopher Delsesto
Standard public school
818 students 18.6:1 students per teacher
Nathanael Greene Middle
Standard public school
815 students 15.7:1 students per teacher
Roger Williams Middle
Standard public school
786 students 15.4:1 students per teacher
Nathan Bishop Middle
Standard public school
719 students 15.6:1 students per teacher
Gilbert Stuart Middle School
Standard public school
683 students 12.6:1 students per teacher
Esek Hopkins Middle
Standard public school
398 students 12.1:1 students per teacher
Similar middle 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 (~189 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Paul Cuffee Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Paul Cuffee Middle 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 Middle School
How many students attend Paul Cuffee Middle School?
Paul Cuffee Middle School has 189 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Providence, RI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Paul Cuffee Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Paul Cuffee Middle School is 12.6:1, which is 9% lower than the Rhode Island average of 13.8:1 and 20% 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 Middle School?
65.9% of students at Paul Cuffee Middle 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 Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Paul Cuffee Middle School is Hispanic or Latino at 75.7% of enrollment, in Providence, RI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Paul Cuffee Middle School?
Paul Cuffee Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 29/100 (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 Middle School rank among middle schools in Providence?
By Resource Investment Index, Paul Cuffee Middle School ranks #6 of 8 middle 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 middle schools in Providence on the city page.
Is Paul Cuffee Middle School a good school?
Paul Cuffee Middle School earns 29/100 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 Middle School, Paul Cuffee Charter Sch also operates Paul Cuffee Lower School (358 students) and Paul Cuffee Upper School (243 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.