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Portsmouth School District

Public school districtGrades PK–12

Serves Portsmouth.

Portsmouth’s School Grade A better than 88% of Rhode Island school districts

Students
2,114
Schools
4
Spent per student
$21,031
RI $23,945
Students per teacher
12:1
Free or reduced lunch
20%
Debt
$33.4M
fiscal 2024
The gist

What stands out about Portsmouth School District

  • Its letter, A: results better than 88% of Rhode Island districts
  • Math proficiency 23 pts above the state
  • Reading proficiency 20 pts above the state
  • Graduation rate 12 pts above the state
  • Spends 12% less per student than the RI average
  • 12 students per teacher
  • Enrollment down 6.5% since 2020–21
  • Debt of $33.4M, about $15,810 per student
The School Grade

What this district adds to its towns’ grade

A: better than 88% of the 60 Rhode Island school districts we grade. Each town’s School Grade weighs its districts by the students they test; spending and class size are shown but don’t count.

Test scoresReading and math well above the state, 2021–22
A−
GraduationFour-year graduation well above the state, class of 2023
A−
The town it serves, and its School Grade
APortsmouth 17,474

How TownRatings grades schools →

Where would my kid go?

The school path for Portsmouth. Grade by grade →

PK–42 elementary schoolsThis district
5–8Portsmouth Middle SchoolThis district
9–12Portsmouth High SchoolThis district

Test scores vs. RI

2021–22 · class of 2023
Math proficiency50%
State average 26.6% · 1,156 students tested
Reading / language arts53%
State average 33.1% · 1,153 students tested
Graduation rate (4-year)96%
State average 84.1% · 203 in the class

98% of students in the tested grades sat the 2022 tests.

Reported to the U.S. Department of Education (EDFacts via ED Data Express and the Urban Institute); the newest year for each measure.

Where the money goes

fiscal 2024
$21,031 per student · 12% below RI
Spending
Classroom instruction 54%Support & administration 44%Other 2%
Paid for by
Local (mostly property tax) 81%State 12%Federal 7%

Fiscal 2022–24 includes federal pandemic relief (ESSER).

U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances.

Enrollment over time
2,262’20
2,224’21
2,164’22
2,143’23
2,114’24

Down 6.5% since 2020–21.

Students
White 81%Hispanic 8%Two or more races 6%Asian 2%Black 2%Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander <1%American Indian/Alaska Native <1%

Schools in the district

4 public schools. Each public school’s letter compares its own 2020–21 reading and math results with Rhode Island’s other public schools.

Melville School
Elementary · Grades PK–4 · Portsmouth
A−
316 students12:1
Howard Hathaway School
Elementary · Grades K–4 · Portsmouth
B+
409 students14:1
Portsmouth Middle School
Middle · Grades 5–8 · Portsmouth
A−
604 students12:1
Portsmouth High School
High · Grades 9–12 · Portsmouth
A+
785 students11:1

Nearby districts

Compare spending and schools next door.

Barrington School DistrictBarrington
$19,531per student
Bristol-Warren Regional School DistrictBristol
$20,479per student
Jamestown School DistrictJamestown
$25,995per student
Little Compton School DistrictLittle Compton
$35,521per student

District facts: U.S. Department of Education (NCES school directory 2024–25 and district boundaries) and the U.S. Census Bureau’s school finance survey. Test scores and graduation: state results reported to the U.S. Department of Education (EDFacts via ED Data Express and the Urban Institute). The letters are our own summary, graded within Rhode Island.