Enrollment
396
Rhode Island · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · North Scituate, RI
Ponaganset Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Ponaganset Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 57/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 440042000117
👥 S:T ratio 57
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 80
📋 Attendance 60
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Ponaganset Middle School earns 57/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 85% of Rhode Island schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Rhode Island schools.
- #2 of 6
- public schools in North Scituate · Resource Index
- 57
- Resource Index · Higher
- 10.7:1
- small classes for Rhode Island
- 14.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Ponaganset Middle School has class sizes smaller than 85% of Rhode Island schools. Computed live against every Rhode Island school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Ponaganset Middle School ranks #2 of 6 public schools in North Scituate, RI.
School address
District: Foster-Glocester · Rhode Island
NCES ID 440042000117 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
37.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
10.7:1
vs 13.8:1 Rhode Island avg
-22% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
14.6%
vs 39.6% Rhode Island avg
-63% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Ponaganset Middle School compares with Rhode Island and U.S. medians
What stands out at Ponaganset Middle School
Ponaganset Middle School is a lower-poverty, mid-sized middle school in North Scituate, Rhode Island, enrolling 396 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 10.7:1, Ponaganset Middle School is leaner than roughly 85% of Rhode Island schools and 22% under the state's 13.8:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 14.6% of students eligible for free meals.
With 396 students, its enrollment sits close to the Rhode Island median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 98% of the 308 Rhode Island schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Among 78 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Rhode Island schools statewide, it ranks #2, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly White (91% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 17/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 99 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
16.2% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Among North Scituate's middle schools, it stands alongside Scituate Middle School (260 students): Ponaganset Middle School is larger than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (10.7:1 vs 12.4:1).
Its district, Foster-Glocester, also runs Ponaganset High School (869 students).
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 Ponaganset Middle School compares
Ponaganset 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 | 10.7:1 | ▼ 22% | 13.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 14.6% | ▼ 63% | 39.6% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 396 | top 46% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
10.7:1
Leaner classes than 85% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
396
Bigger than 47% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
14.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 63% 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
10.7:1
students per teacher
- 22% below state mean
Top 15% in Rhode Island - lower ratio than 85% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
16.2%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$20,168
per pupil, district-wide
- below 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
Counselors4.0 FTE
Per 99 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
33
in-school suspensions + 15 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 8.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 12.1 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 90.9%
Hispanic or Latino 4.5%
Two or More 3.0%
African American 1.5%
Largest group: White at 90.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 17.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 17.1, Ponaganset Middle School is less mixed than the Rhode Island school average of 47.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Foster-Glocester, which includes Ponaganset Middle School.
$20,168
Per student
-1%
vs Rhode Island
Avg $20,315
+22%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 65.3%
State 27.8%
Federal 6.9%
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 Ponaganset Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ponaganset High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Ponaganset Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 869
- Students per teacher
- 12.2:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
Similar middle schools in North Scituate
1 comparable middle schools (grades 6-8) serving the same city.
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 (~396 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Ponaganset Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Ponaganset Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Foster-Glocester'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 Ponaganset Middle School
How many students attend Ponaganset Middle School?
Ponaganset Middle School has 396 students enrolled. It is a middle school in North Scituate, RI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Ponaganset Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Ponaganset Middle School is 10.7:1, which is 22% lower than the Rhode Island average of 13.8:1 and 32% 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 Ponaganset Middle School?
14.6% of students at Ponaganset Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Rhode Island average of 39.6%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Ponaganset Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Ponaganset Middle School is White at 90.9% of enrollment, in North Scituate, RI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Ponaganset Middle School?
Ponaganset Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 57/100 (higher 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 Ponaganset Middle School rank among public schools in North Scituate?
By Resource Investment Index, Ponaganset Middle School ranks #2 of 6 public schools in North Scituate, 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 North Scituate on the city page.
Is Ponaganset Middle School a good school?
Ponaganset Middle School earns 57/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 85% of Rhode Island schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Rhode Island schools. 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 Foster-Glocester?
Besides Ponaganset Middle School, Foster-Glocester also operates Ponaganset High School (869 students). See the Foster-Glocester 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.