Portsmouth School District

29 Middle Road
Portsmouth, RI 02871
(District boundaries shown in map)
9/
10
Top 20%

Top Rankings

Portsmouth School District ranks among the top 20% of public school district in Rhode Island for:

Category
Attribute
Overall Rank
Highest overall rank (Top 20%)
Math Proficiency
Highest math proficiency (Top 20%)
Reading/Language Arts Proficiency
Highest reading/language arts proficiency (Top 20%)
Science Proficiency
Highest science proficiency (Top 20%)
Graduation Rate
Highest graduation rate (Top 20%)
For the 2025 school year, there are 4 public schools serving 2,143 students in Portsmouth School District. This district's average testing ranking is 9/10, which is in the top 20% of public schools in Rhode Island.
Public Schools in Portsmouth School District have an average math proficiency score of 51% (versus the Rhode Island public school average of 27%), and reading proficiency score of 54% (versus the 33% statewide average).
Minority enrollment is 17% of the student body (majority Hispanic), which is less than the Rhode Island public school average of 49% (majority Hispanic).

Overview

This School District
This State (RI)
# Schools
4 Schools
315 Schools
# Students
2,143 Students
134,720 Students
# Teachers
181 Teachers
10,603 Teachers
Student : Teacher Ratio
12:1
12:1

District Rank

Portsmouth School District, which is ranked within the top 20% of all 62 school districts in Rhode Island (based off of combined math and reading proficiency testing data) for the 2021-2022 school year.
The school district's graduation rate of 94% has decreased from 96% over five school years.
This School District
State Average (RI)
#9 out of 63 school districts
(Top 20%)
This chart displays the overall district rank of Portsmouth  School District, with the latest 2021-22 school year data.
50%
27%
This chart displays the percentage of public school students that scored at or above 'proficient' levels in Math of Portsmouth  School District and the percentage of public school students that scored at or above 'proficient' levels in Math of Rhode Island by year, with the latest 2021-22 school year data.
53%
33%
This chart displays the percentage of public school students that scored at or above 'proficient' levels in Reading/Language Arts of Portsmouth  School District and the percentage of public school students that scored at or above 'proficient' levels in Reading/Language Arts of Rhode Island by year, with the latest 2021-22 school year data.
56%
31%
This chart displays the percentage of public school students that scored at or above 'proficient' levels in Science of Portsmouth  School District and the percentage of public school students that scored at or above 'proficient' levels in Science of Rhode Island by year, with the latest 2021-22 school year data.
94%
83%
This chart displays public school graduation rate of Portsmouth  School District and public school graduation rate of Rhode Island by year, with the latest 2021-22 school year data.

Students by Ethnicity:

0.31
0.65
# American Indian Students
3 Students
985 Students
% American Indian Students
n/a
1%
# Asian Students
50 Students
4,367 Students
% Asian Students
2%
4%
# Hispanic Students
159 Students
40,594 Students
% Hispanic Students
8%
30%
# Black Students
33 Students
12,033 Students
% Black Students
2%
9%
# White Students
1,774 Students
68,392 Students
% White Students
83%
51%
# Hawaiian Students
6 Students
204 Students
% Hawaiian Students
n/a
n/a
# Two or more races Students
114 Students
6,910 Students
% of Two or more races Students
5%
5%

Students by Grade:

# Students in PK Grade:
29
3,327
# Students in K Grade:
146
9,279
# Students in 1st Grade:
140
9,614
# Students in 2nd Grade:
136
9,986
# Students in 3rd Grade:
139
9,591
# Students in 4th Grade:
141
9,843
# Students in 5th Grade:
153
9,898
# Students in 6th Grade:
155
9,834
# Students in 7th Grade:
147
10,061
# Students in 8th Grade:
167
10,135
# Students in 9th Grade:
187
10,883
# Students in 10th Grade:
212
11,105
# Students in 11th Grade:
199
10,987
# Students in 12th Grade:
192
10,177
# Ungraded Students:
-
-

District Revenue and Spending

The revenue/student of $21,062 in this school district is less than the state median of $22,250. The school district revenue/student has grown by 5% over four school years.
The school district's spending/student of $21,306 is less than the state median of $21,467. The school district spending/student has grown by 5% over four school years.
This School District
This State (RI)
Total Revenue
$45 MM
$2,998 MM
This chart displays total revenue of Portsmouth  School District and median value from total revenues of all school districts in Rhode Island by year, with the latest 2020-21 school year data.
Spending
$46 MM
$2,892 MM
This chart displays total spending of Portsmouth  School District and median value from total spendings of all school districts in Rhode Island by year, with the latest 2020-21 school year data.
Revenue / Student
$21,062
$22,250
This chart displays average revenue per public school student in Portsmouth  School District and average revenue per public school student of all school districts in Rhode Island by year, with the latest 2020-21 school year data.
Spending / Student
$21,306
$21,467
This chart displays average spending per public school student in Portsmouth  School District and average spending per public school student of all school districts in Rhode Island by year, with the latest 2020-21 school year data.

Best Portsmouth School District Public Schools (2025)

School
(Math and Reading Proficiency)
Location
Grades
Students
Rank: #11.
Portsmouth High School
(Math: 55-59% | Reading: 75-79%)
Rank:
10/
10
Top 5%
120 Education Lane
Portsmouth, RI 02871
(401) 683-2124
Grades: 9-12
| 790 students
Rank: #22.
Howard Hathaway School
(Math: 55-59% | Reading: 50-54%)
Rank:
9/
10
Top 20%
53 Tallman Avenue
Portsmouth, RI 02871
(401) 683-0500
Grades: K-4
| 401 students
Rank: #33.
Melville School
(Math: 50-54% | Reading: 50-54%)
Rank:
9/
10
Top 20%
1351 West Main Road
Portsmouth, RI 02871
(401) 683-1650
Grades: PK-4
| 330 students
Rank: #44.
Portsmouth Middle School
(Math: 47% | Reading: 48%)
Rank:
8/
10
Top 30%
125 Jepson Lane
Portsmouth, RI 02871
(401) 849-3700
Grades: 5-8
| 622 students

Frequently Asked Questions

How many schools belong to Portsmouth School District?
Portsmouth School District manages 4 public schools serving 2,143 students.
What is the rank of Portsmouth School District?
Portsmouth School District is ranked #8 out of 62 school districts in Rhode Island (top 20%) based off of combined math and reading proficiency testing data for the 2021-2022 school year. This district ranks in the top 20% of Rhode Island school districts for: Highest overall rank (Top 20%), Highest math proficiency (Top 20%), Highest reading/language arts proficiency (Top 20%), Highest science proficiency (Top 20%) and Highest graduation rate (Top 20%)
What is the racial composition of students in Portsmouth School District?
83% of Portsmouth School District students are White, 8% of students are Hispanic, 5% of students are Two or more races, 2% of students are Asian, and 2% of students are Black.
What is the student/teacher ratio of Portsmouth School District?
Portsmouth School District has a student/teacher ratio of 12:1, which is lower than the Rhode Island state average of 13:1.
What is Portsmouth School District's spending/student ratio?
The school district's spending/student of $21,306 is less than the state median of $21,467. The school district spending/student has grown by 5% over four school years.

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Quick Stats (2025)

  • District size: 4 schools
  • Grades: PK-12
  • Enrollment: 2,143 students
  • Student:Teacher Ratio: 12:1
  • Minority Enrollment: 17%
  • : 94% (Top 20% in RI)
  • : Top 20%
  • : 50% (Top 20%)
  • : 53% (Top 20%)
  • : 56% (Top 20%)
  • Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), RI Dept. of Education

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