Enrollment
727
Rhode Island · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Cranston, RI
Western Hills Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Western Hills Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 39/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 440024000067
👥 S:T ratio 47
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 27
📋 Attendance 51
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Western Hills Middle School earns 39/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Rhode Island median.
- #3 of 4
- middle schools in Cranston · Resource Index
- 39
- Resource Index · Typical
- 13.2:1
- students per teacher
- 28.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Western Hills Middle School has class sizes near the Rhode Island median. Computed live against every Rhode Island school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Western Hills Middle School ranks #3 of 4 middle schools in Cranston, RI.
School address
District: Cranston · Rhode Island
NCES ID 440024000067 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
55.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.2:1
vs 13.8:1 Rhode Island avg
-4% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
28.4%
vs 39.6% Rhode Island avg
-28% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Western Hills Middle School compares with Rhode Island and U.S. medians
What stands out at Western Hills Middle School
Western Hills Middle School is a large middle school in Cranston, Rhode Island, enrolling 727 students.
At 13.2:1, 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.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 28.4% lands close to the Rhode Island typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 727 puts it in the larger third of Rhode Island schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 308 scored Rhode Island schools.
Against 33 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #15.
Its student body is led by White (55%) and Hispanic or Latino (24%) (diversity index 63/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 364 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 19.5% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Among Cranston's middle schools, it stands alongside Park View Middle School (711 students): Western Hills Middle School is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (13.2:1 vs 12.5:1).
Cranston also operates Cranston High School West (1,653 students) and Cranston High School East (1,525 students) alongside Western Hills 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 Western Hills Middle School compares
Western Hills 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 | 13.2:1 | ▼ 4% | 13.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 28.4% | ▼ 28% | 39.6% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 727 | top 13% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.2:1
Leaner classes than 65% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
727
Bigger than 82% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
28.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 28% 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
13.2:1
students per teacher
- 4% below state mean
Top 53% in Rhode Island - lower ratio than 47% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
19.5%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$17,810
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
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 364 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
70
in-school suspensions + 33 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 9.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 14.2 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
White 55.2%
Hispanic or Latino 23.7%
Asian 8.3%
Two or More 7.3%
African American 4.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: White at 55.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 62.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 62.5, Western Hills Middle School is more mixed than the Rhode Island school average of 47.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Cranston, which includes Western Hills Middle School.
$17,810
Per student
-12%
vs Rhode Island
Avg $20,315
+7%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 48.9%
State 40.3%
Federal 10.8%
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 Western Hills Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cranston High School West | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Cranston High School East | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Park View Middle School | Similar size | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Garden City School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Hugh B. Bain Middle School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Western Hills Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,653
- Students per teacher
- 15.3:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 1,525
- Students per teacher
- 12.7:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 711
- Students per teacher
- 12.5:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 530
- Students per teacher
- 31.2:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 527
- Students per teacher
- 10.3:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
Similar middle schools in Cranston
3 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 (~727 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Western Hills Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Western Hills Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Cranston'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 Western Hills Middle School
How many students attend Western Hills Middle School?
Western Hills Middle School has 727 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Cranston, RI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Western Hills Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Western Hills Middle School is 13.2:1, which is 4% lower than the Rhode Island average of 13.8:1 and 16% 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 Western Hills Middle School?
28.4% of students at Western Hills Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Rhode Island average of 39.6%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Western Hills Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Western Hills Middle School is White at 55.2% of enrollment, in Cranston, RI. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 62.5/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Western Hills Middle School?
Western Hills Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 39/100 (typical 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 Western Hills Middle School rank among middle schools in Cranston?
By Resource Investment Index, Western Hills Middle School ranks #3 of 4 middle schools in Cranston, 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 Cranston on the city page.
Is Western Hills Middle School a good school?
Western Hills Middle School earns 39/100 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 Cranston?
Besides Western Hills Middle School, Cranston also operates Cranston High School West (1,653 students), Cranston High School East (1,525 students), and Park View Middle School (711 students). See the Cranston 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.