Enrollment
250
Rhode Island · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Barrington, RI
Sowams Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Sowams Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 45/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 440003000005
👥 S:T ratio 38
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 68
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Sowams Elementary School earns 45/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 80% of Rhode Island schools.
- #3 of 3
- elementary schools in Barrington · Resource Index
- 45
- Resource Index · Typical
- 15.6:1
- large classes for Rhode Island
- 4.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Sowams Elementary School has class sizes larger than 80% of Rhode Island schools. Computed live against every Rhode Island school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Sowams Elementary School ranks #3 of 3 elementary schools in Barrington, RI.
School address
District: Barrington · Rhode Island
NCES ID 440003000005 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
16.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.6:1
vs 13.8:1 Rhode Island avg
+13% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
4.3%
vs 39.6% Rhode Island avg
-89% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Sowams Elementary School compares with Rhode Island and U.S. medians
What stands out at Sowams Elementary School
Sowams Elementary School is a lower-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Barrington, Rhode Island, enrolling 250 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 15.6:1 puts it in the larger third of Rhode Island schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 4.3% free-meal eligibility runs 89% below the Rhode Island average.
Enrollment of 250 puts it in the smaller third of Rhode Island schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 308 scored Rhode Island schools.
Against 36 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #18.
Its student body is led by White (75%) and Asian (10%) (diversity index 42/100).
12.8% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Among Barrington's elementary schools, it stands alongside Hampden Meadows School (471 students): Sowams Elementary School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (15.6:1 vs 16.2:1).
Barrington also operates Barrington High School (1,098 students) and Barrington Middle School (763 students) alongside Sowams Elementary 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 Sowams Elementary School compares
Sowams Elementary 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 | 15.6:1 | ▲ 13% | 13.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 4.3% | ▼ 89% | 39.6% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 250 | top 77% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.6:1
Leaner classes than 41% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
250
Bigger than 25% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
4.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 89% below the Rhode Island average of 39.6%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
15.6:1
students per teacher
- 13% above state mean
Top 80% in Rhode Island - lower ratio than 20% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
12.8%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 10-15% range, above the pre-pandemic national baseline but within the broader post-pandemic picture.
Funding equity
$17,236
per pupil, district-wide
- below Rhode Island avg of $20,315
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
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 74.8%
Asian 9.6%
Hispanic or Latino 7.6%
Two or More 7.2%
African American 0.8%
Largest group: White at 74.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 42.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 42.0, Sowams Elementary School is less mixed than the Rhode Island school average of 47.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Barrington, which includes Sowams Elementary School.
$17,236
Per student
-15%
vs Rhode Island
Avg $20,315
+4%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 75.0%
State 19.6%
Federal 5.4%
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 Sowams Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barrington High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Barrington Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Hampden Meadows School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Nayatt School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Primrose Hill School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Sowams Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,098
- Students per teacher
- 13.2:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
- Enrollment
- 763
- Students per teacher
- 12.9:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
- Enrollment
- 471
- Students per teacher
- 16.2:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 356
- Students per teacher
- 14.8:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 329
- Students per teacher
- 13.7:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
Similar elementary schools in Barrington
2 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
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 (~250 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~15.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Sowams Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Sowams Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Barrington'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 Sowams Elementary School
How many students attend Sowams Elementary School?
Sowams Elementary School has 250 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Barrington, RI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Sowams Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Sowams Elementary School is 15.6:1, which is 13% higher than the Rhode Island average of 13.8:1 and 1% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Sowams Elementary School?
4.3% of students at Sowams Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Rhode Island average of 39.6%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Sowams Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Sowams Elementary School is White at 74.8% of enrollment, in Barrington, RI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Sowams Elementary School?
Sowams Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 45/100 (typical 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 Sowams Elementary School rank among elementary schools in Barrington?
By Resource Investment Index, Sowams Elementary School ranks #3 of 3 elementary schools in Barrington, 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 Barrington on the city page.
Is Sowams Elementary School a good school?
Sowams Elementary School earns 45/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 80% 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 Barrington?
Besides Sowams Elementary School, Barrington also operates Barrington High School (1,098 students), Barrington Middle School (763 students), and Hampden Meadows School (471 students). See the Barrington 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.