Enrollment
451
Rhode Island · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Providence, RI
Robert F. Kennedy El. School
Federal NCES profile for Robert F. Kennedy El. School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 15/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 440090000241
👥 S:T ratio 22
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 10
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Robert F. Kennedy El. School earns 15/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 95% of Rhode Island schools.
- #23 of 26
- elementary schools in Providence · Resource Index
- 15
- Resource Index · Lower
- 19.6:1
- large classes for Rhode Island
- 67.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Robert F. Kennedy El. School has class sizes larger than 95% of Rhode Island schools. Computed live against every Rhode Island school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Robert F. Kennedy El. School ranks #23 of 26 elementary schools in Providence, RI.
School address
District: Providence · Rhode Island
NCES ID 440090000241 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
23.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
19.6:1
vs 13.8:1 Rhode Island avg
+42% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
67.2%
vs 39.6% Rhode Island avg
+70% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Robert F. Kennedy El. School compares with Rhode Island and U.S. medians
What stands out at Robert F. Kennedy El. School
Robert F. Kennedy El. School is a higher-need, mid-sized elementary school in Providence, Rhode Island, enrolling 451 students.
Class loads run heavy: 19.6:1 is larger than about 95% of Rhode Island schools and 42% above the 13.8:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 67.2% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 451 puts it in the larger third of Rhode Island schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 98% of the 308 Rhode Island schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 51 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Rhode Island schools statewide, it ranks #47, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (58%) and African American (17%) (diversity index 61/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 451 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 55.2% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 16.8% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Providence's elementary schools, it stands alongside Alfred Lima Sr. El School (662 students): Robert F. Kennedy El. School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (19.6:1 vs 16.1:1).
Providence also operates Classical High School (1,116 students) and Central High School (1,050 students) alongside Robert F. Kennedy El. 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 Robert F. Kennedy El. School compares
Robert F. Kennedy El. 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 | 19.6:1 | ▲ 42% | 13.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 67.2% | ▲ 70% | 39.6% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 451 | top 35% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
19.6:1
Leaner classes than 17% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
451
Bigger than 55% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
67.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 70% 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
19.6:1
students per teacher
- 42% above state mean
Top 95% in Rhode Island - lower ratio than 5% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
55.2%
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
$22,536
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 451 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 5 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.1 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
Hispanic or Latino 57.6%
African American 17.1%
White 15.1%
Two or More 6.7%
Asian 2.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.9%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 57.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 61.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 61.1, Robert F. Kennedy El. School is more mixed than the Rhode Island school average of 47.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Providence, which includes Robert F. Kennedy El. School.
$22,536
Per student
+11%
vs Rhode Island
Avg $20,315
+36%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 25.2%
State 57.9%
Federal 16.8%
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 Robert F. Kennedy El. School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Classical High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Central High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Mount Pleasant High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Governor Christopher Delsesto | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Nathanael Greene Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Robert F. Kennedy El. School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,116
- Students per teacher
- 17.4:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
- Enrollment
- 1,050
- Students per teacher
- 13.3:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 997
- Students per teacher
- 13.1:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 818
- Students per teacher
- 18.6:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
- Enrollment
- 815
- Students per teacher
- 15.7:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
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 (~451 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Robert F. Kennedy El. School's federal record.
- Compare Robert F. Kennedy El. School against another school. Compare schools
- Providence'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 Robert F. Kennedy El. School
How many students attend Robert F. Kennedy El. School?
Robert F. Kennedy El. School has 451 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Providence, RI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Robert F. Kennedy El. School?
The student-teacher ratio at Robert F. Kennedy El. School is 19.6:1, which is 42% higher than the Rhode Island average of 13.8:1 and 25% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Robert F. Kennedy El. School?
67.2% of students at Robert F. Kennedy El. School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Rhode Island average of 39.6%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Robert F. Kennedy El. School?
The largest demographic group at Robert F. Kennedy El. School is Hispanic or Latino at 57.6% of enrollment, in Providence, RI. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 61.1/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Robert F. Kennedy El. School?
Robert F. Kennedy El. School has a Resource Investment Index of 15/100 (lower 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 Robert F. Kennedy El. School rank among elementary schools in Providence?
By Resource Investment Index, Robert F. Kennedy El. School ranks #23 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 Robert F. Kennedy El. School a good school?
Robert F. Kennedy El. School earns 15/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 95% of 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 Providence?
Besides Robert F. Kennedy El. School, Providence also operates Classical High School (1,116 students), Central High School (1,050 students), and Mount Pleasant High (997 students). See the Providence 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.