Enrollment
266
Rhode Island · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Johnston, RI
Sarah Dyer Barnes School
Federal NCES profile for Sarah Dyer Barnes School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 52/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 440054000130
👥 S:T ratio 59
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 62
📋 Attendance 59
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Sarah Dyer Barnes School earns 52/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 91% of Rhode Island schools.
- #2 of 5
- elementary schools in Johnston · Resource Index
- 52
- Resource Index · Higher
- 10.2:1
- small classes for Rhode Island
- 36.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Sarah Dyer Barnes School has class sizes smaller than 91% of Rhode Island schools. Computed live against every Rhode Island school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Sarah Dyer Barnes School ranks #2 of 5 elementary schools in Johnston, RI.
School address
District: Johnston · Rhode Island
NCES ID 440054000130 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
26.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
10.2:1
vs 13.8:1 Rhode Island avg
-26% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
36.6%
vs 39.6% Rhode Island avg
-8% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Sarah Dyer Barnes School compares with Rhode Island and U.S. medians
What stands out at Sarah Dyer Barnes School
Sarah Dyer Barnes School is a mid-sized elementary school in Johnston, Rhode Island, enrolling 266 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 10.2:1, Sarah Dyer Barnes School is leaner than roughly 91% of Rhode Island schools and 26% under the state's 13.8:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 36.6% lands close to the Rhode Island typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 266 puts it in the smaller third of Rhode Island schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 95% of the 308 Rhode Island schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Among 57 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 led by White (60%) and Hispanic or Latino (26%) (diversity index 56/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 190 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
16.5% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Among Johnston's elementary schools, it stands alongside Winsor Hill School (380 students): Sarah Dyer Barnes School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (10.2:1 vs 12.3:1).
Johnston also operates Johnston Senior High (826 students) and Nicholas a. Ferri Middle (720 students) alongside Sarah Dyer Barnes 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 Sarah Dyer Barnes School compares
Sarah Dyer Barnes 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 | 10.2:1 | ▼ 26% | 13.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 36.6% | ▼ 8% | 39.6% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 266 | top 71% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
10.2:1
Leaner classes than 88% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
266
Bigger than 28% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
36.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 8% 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
10.2:1
students per teacher
- 26% below state mean
Top 9% in Rhode Island - lower ratio than 91% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
16.5%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$19,162
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
Counselors1.4 FTE
Per 190 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 60.2%
Hispanic or Latino 25.9%
African American 8.3%
Two or More 3.0%
Asian 1.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.8%
Largest group: White at 60.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 56.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 56.2, Sarah Dyer Barnes School is more mixed than the Rhode Island school average of 47.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Johnston, which includes Sarah Dyer Barnes School.
$19,162
Per student
-6%
vs Rhode Island
Avg $20,315
+15%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 56.0%
State 33.5%
Federal 10.5%
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 Sarah Dyer Barnes School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Johnston Senior High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Nicholas a. Ferri Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Winsor Hill School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Thornton School | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Brown Avenue School | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Sarah Dyer Barnes School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 826
- Students per teacher
- 11:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 720
- Students per teacher
- 12.2:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 380
- Students per teacher
- 12.3:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 340
- Students per teacher
- 11.3:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 251
- Students per teacher
- 13.9:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
Similar elementary schools in Johnston
4 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Winsor Hill School
Standard public school
380 students 12.3:1 students per teacher
Thornton School
Standard public school
340 students 11.3:1 students per teacher
Brown Avenue School
Standard public school
251 students 13.9:1 students per teacher
Early Childhood Center
Standard public school
201 students 12.6:1 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 (~266 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Sarah Dyer Barnes School's federal record.
- Compare Sarah Dyer Barnes School against another school. Compare schools
- Johnston'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 Sarah Dyer Barnes School
How many students attend Sarah Dyer Barnes School?
Sarah Dyer Barnes School has 266 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Johnston, RI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Sarah Dyer Barnes School?
The student-teacher ratio at Sarah Dyer Barnes School is 10.2:1, which is 26% lower than the Rhode Island average of 13.8:1 and 35% 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 Sarah Dyer Barnes School?
36.6% of students at Sarah Dyer Barnes School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Rhode Island average of 39.6%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Sarah Dyer Barnes School?
The largest demographic group at Sarah Dyer Barnes School is White at 60.2% of enrollment, in Johnston, RI. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 56.2/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Sarah Dyer Barnes School?
Sarah Dyer Barnes School has a Resource Investment Index of 52/100 (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 Sarah Dyer Barnes School rank among elementary schools in Johnston?
By Resource Investment Index, Sarah Dyer Barnes School ranks #2 of 5 elementary schools in Johnston, 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 Johnston on the city page.
Is Sarah Dyer Barnes School a good school?
Sarah Dyer Barnes School earns 52/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 91% 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 Johnston?
Besides Sarah Dyer Barnes School, Johnston also operates Johnston Senior High (826 students), Nicholas a. Ferri Middle (720 students), and Winsor Hill School (380 students). See the Johnston 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.