Paul Cuffee Lower School

Summary:

Paul Cuffee Lower School is a public charter elementary school serving 359 students in grades K-5 in Providence, Rhode Island. The school is part of the Paul Cuffee Charter School district, which is ranked 52 out of 60 districts in the state and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

The data suggests that Paul Cuffee Lower School is struggling to provide a high-quality education to its students. The school has consistently underperformed compared to the state and district averages on standardized tests, with only 14.6% of students proficient or better in English Language Arts and 15.2% in Mathematics in the 2023-2024 school year. The school also has a high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 75.35% to 83.29% over the past few years, indicating a high level of economic disadvantage among the student population.

When compared to nearby schools, such as Veazie Street School, Times2 Elementary School, and Robert F. Kennedy Elementary School, Paul Cuffee Lower School generally underperforms on academic measures. The school has also consistently ranked in the bottom third of Rhode Island elementary schools, placing it in the bottom 10% statewide. Despite the school's high spending per student and relatively low student-teacher ratio, the academic performance has not shown significant improvement over the past several years.

Detail:

Public, Charter K-5

459 Promenade Street
Providence, RI 02908

(401) 453-2626

District: Paul Cuffee Charter School

SchoolDigger Rank:
153^rd of 166 Rhode Island Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $15,952

Student/teacher ratio: 11.9

Number of students: 357

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

68.9%

African American:

17.4%

Two or more races:

5.0%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 77.6%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Paul Cuffee Lower School ranks worse than 92.2% of elementary schools in Rhode Island. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 13.82. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: Hispanic (68.9%), African American (17.4%), two or more races (5%). (See more...)

Compare Details 77.6% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Paul Cuffee Lower School is 11.9. (See more...)

Compare Paul Cuffee Lower School employs 30 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Paul Cuffee Lower School is $15,952.

Schooldigger Rankings:

Paul Cuffee Lower School was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

Paul Cuffee Charter School:

SchoolDigger ranks Paul Cuffee Charter School 52^nd of 60 Rhode Island school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Paul Cuffee Lower School

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	RI State Percentile
2019	21.58	133^rd	169	21.3%
2021	19.76	128^th	166	22.9%
2022	23.38	122^nd	166	26.5%
2023	13.84	150^th	167	10.2%
2024	13.82	153^rd	166	7.8%

See the entire list of Rhode Island Elementary School Rankings!

Data source: test scores: Rhode Island Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

Data source: Rhode Island Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Paul Cuffee Lower School

Compare

Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
2019	29	66	11	227	0	3	25	361
2020	30	70	8	223	2	4	25	362
2021	19	64	11	235	2	3	27	361
2022	17	68	10	236	3	3	24	361
2023	17	66	10	242	4	2	18	359
2024	14	62	9	246	5	3	18	357

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Paul Cuffee Lower School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2019	361	30.4	11.8	75.1
2020	362	30.1	12.0	77.6
2021	361	30.8	11.7	75.3
2022	361	31.4	11.4	78.7
2023	359	30.0	11.9	83.3
2024	357	30.0	11.9	77.6

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Paul Cuffee Lower School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2019	361	30.4	11.8	75.1
2020	362	30.1	12.0	77.6
2021	361	30.8	11.7	75.3
2022	361	31.4	11.4	78.7
2023	359	30.0	11.9	83.3
2024	357	30.0	11.9	77.6

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Paul Cuffee Lower School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2021	$1,766 (11.1%)	$14,186 (88.9%)	$15,952

Data source: Rhode Island Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Paul Cuffee Lower School

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Rank Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Ranks 133^rd of 169 Elementary schools	Ranks 150^th of 167 Elementary schools	11.1%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Paul Cuffee Lower School)	31.1	15.5	15.6%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Paul Cuffee Charter School)	31.2	15.5	15.7%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Rhode Island)	47.9	36.8	11.1%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Paul Cuffee Lower School)	36.1	13.8	22.3%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Paul Cuffee Charter School)	36.1	13.8	22.3%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Rhode Island)	36.1	34.5	1.6%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Paul Cuffee Lower School)	22	20	2%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Paul Cuffee Charter School)	22	20	2%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Rhode Island)	37.2	33.3	3.9%
4th Grade Mathematics (Paul Cuffee Lower School)	21.7	13.3	8.4%
4th Grade Mathematics (Paul Cuffee Charter School)	21.7	13.3	8.4%
4th Grade Mathematics (Rhode Island)	32.6	36	3.4%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Paul Cuffee Lower School)	13.3	20.3	7%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Paul Cuffee Charter School)	13.3	20.3	7%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Rhode Island)	39.1	35.1	4%
5th Grade Mathematics (Paul Cuffee Lower School)	20	10.2	9.8%
5th Grade Mathematics (Paul Cuffee Charter School)	20	10.2	9.8%
5th Grade Mathematics (Rhode Island)	30.1	30	0.1%
All Grades English Language Arts (Paul Cuffee Lower School)	22.2	18.6	3.6%
All Grades English Language Arts (Paul Cuffee Charter School)	27.8	17.4	10.4%
All Grades Mathematics (Paul Cuffee Lower School)	26	12.4	13.6%
All Grades Mathematics (Paul Cuffee Charter School)	26.7	13.4	13.3%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	361	359	0.6%
African American	66	66
American Indian	0	4
Asian	11	10	9.1%
Hispanic	227	242	6.6%
Pacific Islander	3	2	33.3%
White	29	17	41.4%
Two or More Races	25	18	28%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	75.1%	83.3%	8.2%

Schools Near Paul Cuffee Lower School

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				NGSA Science (2024)	RICAS English Language Arts (2024)				RICAS Mathematics (2024)				Per Pupil Expenditures (2021)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	NGSA Science All Grades	RICAS English Language Arts 3rd Grade	RICAS English Language Arts 4th Grade	RICAS English Language Arts 5th Grade	RICAS English Language Arts All Grades	RICAS Mathematics 3rd Grade	RICAS Mathematics 4th Grade	RICAS Mathematics 5th Grade	RICAS Mathematics All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Paul Cuffee Lower School	Public, Charter	K-5	459 Promenade Street	Providence	02908	Providence County	Paul Cuffee Charter School	Yes	(n/a)	No	Yes	(401) 453-2626	357	30	11.9	77.6%	14 (3.9%)	62 (17.4%)	246 (68.9%)	9 (2.5%)	5 (1.4%)	3 (0.8%)	18 (5.0%)	13.8	153^rd of 166 public elementary schools	7.8%		13.8	150^th of 167 public elementary schools	10.2%	3	15.0	21.7	6.9	15.0	14.6	15.0	19.0	11.7	15.2	$15,952	$1,766	$14,186
Harry Kizirian Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	60 Camden Avenue	Providence	02908	Providence County	Providence	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(401) 456-9369	500	31	16.1	80.4%	43 (8.6%)	86 (17.2%)	266 (53.2%)	22 (4.4%)	4 (0.8%)	1 (0.2%)	33 (6.6%)	8.5	162^nd of 166 public elementary schools	2.4%		9.3	159^th of 167 public elementary schools	4.8%	3	6.3	18.3	13.3	6.4	12.8	8.0	8.3		6.5	$14,029	$2,012	$12,017
Times2 Elementary School	Public, Charter	K-5	50 Fillmore Street	Providence	02908	Providence County	Providence	Yes	(n/a)	No	Yes	(401) 272-5094	313	29	10.7	68.4%	22 (7.0%)	76 (24.3%)	183 (58.5%)	10 (3.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (2.9%)	28.5	116^th of 166 public elementary schools	30.1%		32.8	107^th of 167 public elementary schools	35.9%	9	31.5	27.8	17.0	14.8	19.9	31.5	24.5	24.1	26.7	$13,370		$13,370
Asa Messer Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-4	1655 Westminster Street	Providence	02909	Providence County	Providence	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(401) 456-9401	538	31	17.3	80.5%	30 (5.6%)	56 (10.4%)	359 (66.7%)	26 (4.8%)	2 (0.4%)	1 (0.2%)	16 (3.0%)	48.6	78^th of 166 public elementary schools	53.0%		15.7	144^th of 167 public elementary schools	13.8%	66		45.3	36.6		40.0	35.1	29.2		31.7	$17,564	$2,167	$15,397
William D'Abate Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	60 Kossuth Street	Providence	02909	Providence County	Providence	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(401) 456-9416	401	23	17.4	90.8%	17 (4.2%)	38 (9.5%)	307 (76.6%)	2 (0.5%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	17 (4.2%)	21.9	135^th of 166 public elementary schools	18.7%		20.5	134^th of 167 public elementary schools	19.8%	1	22.4	11.3	16.4	27.7	17.3	8.2	29.7	22.4	19.9	$14,464	$2,445	$12,019
George J. West Elementary School	Public	K-5	145 Beaufort Street	Providence	02908	Providence County	Providence	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(401) 456-9337	533	42	12.6	89.3%	32 (6.0%)	88 (16.5%)	347 (65.1%)	6 (1.1%)	2 (0.4%)	1 (0.2%)	35 (6.6%)	18.2	139^th of 166 public elementary schools	16.3%		17.3	140^th of 167 public elementary schools	16.2%	1	17.7	18.8	14.9	15.1	16.1	32.2	20.0	10.5	19.9	$14,049	$2,339	$11,709
Robert F. Kennedy Elementary School	Public	K-5	195 Nelson Street	Providence	02908	Providence County	Providence	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(401) 456-9403	422	24	17.5	72.0%	47 (11.1%)	65 (15.4%)	234 (55.5%)	17 (4.0%)	3 (0.7%)	1 (0.2%)	23 (5.5%)	41.7	87^th of 166 public elementary schools	47.6%		31.4	112^th of 167 public elementary schools	32.9%	25	25.0	34.2	21.6	24.6	26.9	36.5	46.8	29.7	38.2	$14,997	$2,582	$12,416
Martin Luther King Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	35 Camp Street	Providence	02906	Providence County	Providence	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(401) 456-9398	399	28	14.2	69.2%	43 (10.8%)	88 (22.1%)	175 (43.9%)	14 (3.5%)	2 (0.5%)	1 (0.3%)	24 (6.0%)	44.2	86^th of 166 public elementary schools	48.2%		37.1	97^th of 167 public elementary schools	41.9%	11	28.6	40.5	24.3	32.3	31.1	35.6	31.5	34.8	33.7	$19,152	$3,228	$15,924
SouthSide Elementary Charter	Public, Charter	K-5	135 Prairie Ave	Providence	02905	Providence County	SouthSide Charter School	Yes	(n/a)	No	Yes	(401) 270-9007	140	9	15.5	79.3%	5 (3.6%)	38 (27.1%)	93 (66.4%)	1 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (2.1%)	23.3	128^th of 166 public elementary schools	22.9%		30	114^th of 167 public elementary schools	31.7%	14	19.0	18.2	17.4	9.5	15.2	18.2	43.5		21.2	$13,961	$1,706	$12,256
Veazie Street School	Public	PK, KG-5	211 Veazie Street	Providence	02904	Providence County	Providence	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(401) 453-8601	459	31	14.8	79.5%	24 (5.2%)	95 (20.7%)	272 (59.3%)	3 (0.7%)	4 (0.9%)	1 (0.2%)	25 (5.4%)	23	131^st of 166 public elementary schools	21.1%		15.4	145^th of 167 public elementary schools	13.2%	14	9.6	36.4	9.3	7.3	16.2	53.8	18.0	14.5	26.6	$14,056	$1,875	$12,181

Frequently Asked Questions about Paul Cuffee Lower School

How many students attend Paul Cuffee Lower School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 357 students attended Paul Cuffee Lower School.

What district is Paul Cuffee Lower School in?

Paul Cuffee Charter School

Is Paul Cuffee Lower School a good school?

Paul Cuffee Lower School ranks in the bottom 7.8% of Rhode Island elementary schools.

What is the racial makeup of Paul Cuffee Lower School?

Students at Paul Cuffee Lower School are 69% Hispanic, 17% African American, 5% Two or more races, 4% White, 3% Asian, 1% American Indian.

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Rhode Island Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.