Potter-Burns School

Q: Is Potter-Burns School a good school?

Potter-Burns School ranks 108 th of 166 Rhode Island elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Summary:

Potter-Burns School is an elementary school located in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, serving 437 students in grades K-5. The school is part of the Pawtucket School District, which is ranked 45 out of 60 districts in the state and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Despite increased per-student spending and a lower student-teacher ratio, Potter-Burns School has consistently ranked in the bottom half of Rhode Island elementary schools, with a 2-star rating for the current school year. The school's academic performance, as measured by RICAS proficiency rates, is significantly below the Pawtucket district and state averages in both English Language Arts and Mathematics. Additionally, the school has a high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 57.83% to 59.5% over the past three school years.

When compared to nearby schools, International Charter School and Francis J. Varieur School have outperformed Potter-Burns School in both ELA and Mathematics proficiency rates. This suggests that there may be systemic issues within the Pawtucket district or broader community that are contributing to the challenges faced by Potter-Burns School. Addressing these underlying factors and implementing targeted interventions to support student learning and achievement should be a priority for the school and district leadership.

Detail:

Public K-5

973 Newport Avenue
Pawtucket, RI 02861

(401) 729-6250

District: Pawtucket

SchoolDigger Rank:
108^th of 166 Rhode Island Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $14,395

Students who attend Potter-Burns School usually attend:

Middle:	Lyman B. Goff Middle School
High:	William E. Tolman High

Student/teacher ratio: 13.4

Number of students: 437

Racial breakdown:

White:

42.6%

Hispanic:

33.2%

African American:

15.6%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 59.5%

See top rated Rhode Island elementary schools

Compare Potter-Burns School to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Potter-Burns School ranks worse than 65.1% of elementary schools in Rhode Island. It also ranks 4^th among 10 ranked elementary schools in the Pawtucket School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 31.32. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Student population at Potter-Burns School is diverse. Racial makeup is: White (42.6%), Hispanic (33.2%), African American (15.6%). (See more...)

Compare Details 59.5% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Potter-Burns School is 13.4. 8 elementary schools in the Pawtucket School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Potter-Burns School employs 32.5 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Potter-Burns School is $14,395. 7 elementary schools in the Pawtucket School District spend more per student.

Schooldigger Rankings:

Potter-Burns School was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

Pawtucket:

SchoolDigger ranks Pawtucket 45^th of 60 Rhode Island school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Potter-Burns School

Compare

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	RI State Percentile
2009	26.58	131^st	169	22.5%
2010	23.18	130^th	169	23.1%
2011	32.43	122^nd	165	26.1%
2012	36.51	120^th	165	27.3%
2013	41.72	108^th	165	34.5%
2014	51.67	93^rd	159	41.5%
2015	37.26	112^th	169	33.7%
2016	46.56	96^th	170	43.5%
2017	45.33	99^th	168	41.1%
2018	52.88	80^th	169	52.7%
2019	29.38	120^th	169	29.0%
2021	19.81	127^th	166	23.5%
2022	30.19	109^th	166	34.3%
2023	33.46	104^th	167	37.7%
2024	31.32	108^th	166	34.9%

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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Reviews:
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Enrollment information for Potter-Burns School

Compare

Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
1988	411	6	0	0	4	n/a	n/a	421
1989	437	3	2	2	3	n/a	n/a	447
1990	469	3	2	4	2	n/a	n/a	480
1991	485	2	0	8	2	n/a	n/a	497
1992	515	3	0	10	5	n/a	n/a	533
1993	565	8	2	16	4	n/a	n/a	595
1994	579	13	3	17	4	n/a	n/a	616
1995	594	15	2	30	9	n/a	n/a	650
1996	594	15	2	30	9	n/a	n/a	650
1997	590	12	8	31	8	n/a	n/a	649
1998	578	23	6	36	3	n/a	n/a	646
1999	578	25	5	29	3	n/a	n/a	640
2000	541	30	6	33	2	n/a	n/a	612
2001	556	32	4	43	2	n/a	n/a	637
2002	475	48	6	55	2	n/a	n/a	586
2003	475	48	6	55	2	n/a	n/a	586
2004	429	46	5	59	3	n/a	n/a	542
2005	411	47	5	54	2	n/a	n/a	519
2006	403	49	6	53	0	n/a	n/a	511
2007	403	53	9	81	0	n/a	n/a	546
2008	406	47	9	78	2	n/a	n/a	542
2009	394	42	9	92	5	n/a	n/a	542
2010	411	37	8	103	5	n/a	n/a	564
2011	372	38	7	120	5	1	29	572
2012	356	46	10	117	3	0	32	564
2013	378	46	9	116	3	1	39	592
2014	328	45	6	105	3	1	30	518
2015	318	52	7	106	3	1	29	516
2016	308	55	9	105	3	0	29	509
2017	271	57	8	88	5	2	20	451
2018	276	61	10	79	3	1	22	452
2019	278	51	7	99	3	1	27	466
2020	265	51	5	102	3	0	29	455
2021	248	54	6	114	1	0	23	446
2022	218	59	3	124	1	1	28	434
2023	186	68	2	145	2	1	33	437

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 Potter-Burns School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	421	n/a	n/a	19
1989	447	n/a	n/a	11.9
1990	480	n/a	n/a	13.5
1991	497	30.7	16.1	15.9
1992	533	28.0	19.0	18.4
1993	595	34.0	17.5	16.5
1994	616	31.0	19.9	18.8
1995	650	34.0	19.1	23.5
1996	650	34.0	19.1	23.5
1997	649	34.6	18.8	25.7
1998	646	34.0	19.0	27.9
1999	640	32.5	19.7	40.2
2000	612	33.0	18.5	35.9
2001	637	35.5	17.9	38.1
2002	586	n/a	n/a	48
2003	586	n/a	n/a	48
2004	542	25.0	21.7	46.1
2005	519	37.0	14.0	45.3
2006	511	41.0	12.5	46.6
2007	546	24.0	22.8	48
2008	542	31.0	17.5	49.3
2009	542	31.0	13.9	48.5
2010	564	33.0	17.0	60.3
2011	572	32.0	17.8	60.3
2012	564	34.0	16.5	62.1
2013	592	31.0	19.0	62
2014	518	30.0	17.2	62.7
2015	516	30.0	17.2	58.3
2016	509	33.0	15.4	62.1
2017	451	30.4	14.8	48.6
2018	452	29.4	15.3	46.7
2019	466	30.6	15.1	55.4
2020	455	29.7	15.2	52.3
2021	446	30.1	14.8	59.2
2022	434	31.3	13.8	57.8
2023	437	32.5	13.4	59.5

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 Potter-Burns School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	421	n/a	n/a	19
1989	447	n/a	n/a	11.9
1990	480	n/a	n/a	13.5
1991	497	30.7	16.1	15.9
1992	533	28.0	19.0	18.4
1993	595	34.0	17.5	16.5
1994	616	31.0	19.9	18.8
1995	650	34.0	19.1	23.5
1996	650	34.0	19.1	23.5
1997	649	34.6	18.8	25.7
1998	646	34.0	19.0	27.9
1999	640	32.5	19.7	40.2
2000	612	33.0	18.5	35.9
2001	637	35.5	17.9	38.1
2002	586	n/a	n/a	48
2003	586	n/a	n/a	48
2004	542	25.0	21.7	46.1
2005	519	37.0	14.0	45.3
2006	511	41.0	12.5	46.6
2007	546	24.0	22.8	48
2008	542	31.0	17.5	49.3
2009	542	31.0	13.9	48.5
2010	564	33.0	17.0	60.3
2011	572	32.0	17.8	60.3
2012	564	34.0	16.5	62.1
2013	592	31.0	19.0	62
2014	518	30.0	17.2	62.7
2015	516	30.0	17.2	58.3
2016	509	33.0	15.4	62.1
2017	451	30.4	14.8	48.6
2018	452	29.4	15.3	46.7
2019	466	30.6	15.1	55.4
2020	455	29.7	15.2	52.3
2021	446	30.1	14.8	59.2
2022	434	31.3	13.8	57.8
2023	437	32.5	13.4	59.5

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 Potter-Burns School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2018	$386 (3.4%)	$11,022 (96.6%)	$11,408
2019	$378 (3.1%)	$11,635 (96.9%)	$12,013
2020	$495 (4.1%)	$11,684 (95.9%)	$12,180
2021	$971 (6.7%)	$13,424 (93.3%)	$14,395

Data source: Rhode Island Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Potter-Burns 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 120^th of 169 Elementary schools	Ranks 104^th of 167 Elementary schools	8.7%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Potter-Burns School)	35.4	34.5	0.9%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Pawtucket)	36.7	24.1	12.6%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Rhode Island)	47.9	36.8	11.1%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Potter-Burns School)	24.1	36.4	12.3%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Pawtucket)	28.7	25.2	3.5%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Rhode Island)	36.1	34.5	1.6%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Potter-Burns School)	30.5	17.3	13.2%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Pawtucket)	24.6	19.8	4.8%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Rhode Island)	37.2	33.3	3.9%
4th Grade Mathematics (Potter-Burns School)	39	32.9	6.1%
4th Grade Mathematics (Pawtucket)	24	28.5	4.5%
4th Grade Mathematics (Rhode Island)	32.6	36	3.4%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Potter-Burns School)	27.6	31.9	4.3%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Pawtucket)	24.8	21	3.8%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Rhode Island)	39.1	35.1	4%
5th Grade Mathematics (Potter-Burns School)	19.3	17.6	1.7%
5th Grade Mathematics (Pawtucket)	21.1	22.6	1.5%
5th Grade Mathematics (Rhode Island)	30.1	30	0.1%
All Grades English Language Arts (Potter-Burns School)	31	26.9	4.1%
All Grades English Language Arts (Pawtucket)	24.3	17.2	7.1%
All Grades Mathematics (Potter-Burns School)	27.3	28.4	1.1%
All Grades Mathematics (Pawtucket)	17.8	16.9	0.9%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	466	437	6.2%
African American	51	68	33.3%
American Indian	3	2	33.3%
Asian	7	2	71.4%
Hispanic	99	145	46.5%
Pacific Islander	1	1
White	278	186	33.1%
Two or More Races	27	33	22.2%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	55.4%	59.5%	4.1%

Schools Near Potter-Burns 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 6th Grade	RICAS English Language Arts 7th Grade	RICAS English Language Arts 8th Grade	RICAS English Language Arts All Grades	RICAS Mathematics 3rd Grade	RICAS Mathematics 4th Grade	RICAS Mathematics 5th Grade	RICAS Mathematics 6th Grade	RICAS Mathematics 7th Grade	RICAS Mathematics 8th Grade	RICAS Mathematics All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Potter-Burns School	Public	K-5	973 Newport Avenue	Pawtucket	02861	Providence County	Pawtucket	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(401) 729-6250	437	33	13.4	59.5%	186 (42.6%)	68 (15.6%)	145 (33.2%)	2 (0.5%)	2 (0.5%)	1 (0.2%)	33 (7.6%)	31.3	108^th of 166 public elementary schools	34.9%		33.5	104^th of 167 public elementary schools	37.7%	4	24.7	22.8	30.2	20.3				23.7	33.3	32.7	21.0				28.6	$14,395	$971	$13,424
Elizabeth Baldwin School	Public	K-5	723 Central Avenue	Pawtucket	02861	Providence County	Pawtucket	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(401) 729-6264	357	28	12.9	55.2%	43 (12.0%)	156 (43.7%)	122 (34.2%)	7 (2.0%)	7 (2.0%)	3 (0.8%)	19 (5.3%)	14.7	151^st of 166 public elementary schools	9.0%		16.1	143^rd of 167 public elementary schools	14.4%	8	16.7	27.5	7.1	15.2				15.5	26.2	11.9	6.3				14.1	$14,156	$1,729	$12,427
Curvin-McCabe School	Public	K-5	466 Cottage Street	Pawtucket	02861	Providence County	Pawtucket	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(401) 729-6258	335	30	11.1	67.2%	98 (29.3%)	69 (20.6%)	137 (40.9%)	3 (0.9%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	27 (8.1%)	33.4	101^st of 166 public elementary schools	39.2%		34.3	102^nd of 167 public elementary schools	38.9%	1	14.5	38.3	20.8	10.3				22.2	56.0	38.8	14.5				34.8	$17,877	$2,091	$15,785
Flora S. Curtis School	Public	PK, KG-5	582 Benefit Street	Pawtucket	02861	Providence County	Pawtucket	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(401) 729-6252	334	25	13.3	48.5%	128 (38.3%)	61 (18.3%)	109 (32.6%)	4 (1.2%)	3 (0.9%)	1 (0.3%)	28 (8.4%)	50.7	76^th of 166 public elementary schools	54.2%		74.4	45^th of 167 public elementary schools	73.1%	31	35.1	27.5	23.3	27.0				26.2	41.5	56.7	43.2				46.3	$19,991	$1,872	$18,119
Fallon Memorial School	Public	PK, KG-5	62 Lincoln Avenue	Pawtucket	02861	Providence County	Pawtucket	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(401) 729-6254	566	43	13.0	54.2%	193 (34.1%)	121 (21.4%)	210 (37.1%)	8 (1.4%)	2 (0.4%)	2 (0.4%)	30 (5.3%)	25.5	123^rd of 166 public elementary schools	25.9%		17.4	139^th of 167 public elementary schools	16.8%	16	21.3	18.9	23.2	14.9				18.9	33.3	32.4	14.7				26.7	$13,892	$1,731	$12,161
Agnes E. Little School	Public	K-5	60 South Bend Street	Pawtucket	02860	Providence County	Pawtucket	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(401) 729-6256	341	28	12.0	52.8%	90 (26.4%)	106 (31.1%)	108 (31.7%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	34 (10.0%)	29	115^th of 166 public elementary schools	30.7%		28.3	122^nd of 167 public elementary schools	26.9%	7	21.0	36.2	22.2	19.0				25.0	24.5	19.4	30.6				24.7	$15,332	$1,258	$14,073
Henry J. Winters School	Public	PK, KG-5	481 Broadway	Pawtucket	02860	Providence County	Pawtucket	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(401) 729-6272	513	39	13.2	60.0%	99 (19.3%)	186 (36.3%)	182 (35.5%)	2 (0.4%)	3 (0.6%)	3 (0.6%)	38 (7.4%)	23.1	130^th of 166 public elementary schools	21.7%		11	154^th of 167 public elementary schools	7.8%	24	21.8	7.9	22.4	18.8				16.7	10.1	27.1	25.7				21.5	$14,399	$1,346	$13,053
International Charter School	Public, Charter	K-5	334 Pleasant Street	Pawtucket	02860	Providence County	International Charter	Yes	(n/a)	No	Yes	(401) 721-0824	380	26	14.8	55.3%	61 (16.1%)	53 (13.9%)	247 (65.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (4.7%)	30.2	112^th of 166 public elementary schools	32.5%		31.6	111^th of 167 public elementary schools	33.5%	1	36.2	26.2	16.7	20.7				21.2	32.8	19.7	24.1				25.6	$14,934	$957	$13,977
Francis J. Varieur School	Public	PK, KG-5	486 Pleasant Street	Pawtucket	02860	Providence County	Pawtucket	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(401) 729-6266	246	21	11.8	64.6%	86 (35.0%)	61 (24.8%)	68 (27.6%)	8 (3.3%)	4 (1.6%)	2 (0.8%)	17 (6.9%)	70	48^th of 166 public elementary schools	71.1%		63.8	60^th of 167 public elementary schools	64.1%	12	28.6	77.4	41.5	46.3				53.1	56.3	45.5	38.1				45.8	$15,385	$1,638	$13,747
The Learning Community	Public, Charter	K-8	21 Lincoln Avenue	Central Falls	02863	Providence County	Learning Community	Yes	(n/a)	No	Yes	(401) 722-9998	576	39	14.7	84.7%	20 (3.5%)	83 (14.4%)	464 (80.6%)	8 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	30	113^th of 166 public elementary schools	31.9%		24.4	127^th of 167 public elementary schools	24.0%	14	17.2	27.7	15.6	26.6	25.8	13.1	22.4	22.0	24.6	34.9	26.6	22.7	9.8	8.8	21.5	$15,929	$1,846	$14,082

Frequently Asked Questions about Potter-Burns School

What schools do graduates of Potter-Burns School attend?

Students who attend Potter-Burns School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Lyman B. Goff Middle School
High : William E. Tolman High

How many students attend Potter-Burns School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 437 students attended Potter-Burns School.

What district is Potter-Burns School in?

Pawtucket

Is Potter-Burns School a good school?

Potter-Burns School ranks 108^th of 166 Rhode Island elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Potter-Burns School?

Students at Potter-Burns School are 43% White, 33% Hispanic, 16% African American, 8% Two or more races.

Rate Potter-Burns School!

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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.