Matunuck School

Q: Is Matunuck School a good school?

Matunuck School ranks 32 nd of 166 Rhode Island elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Summary:

Matunuck School is an exceptional elementary school located in Wakefield, Rhode Island, serving 205 students in grades K-5. As part of the South Kingstown School District, which is ranked 13 out of 60 districts in the state, Matunuck School consistently delivers outstanding academic performance, ranking as high as 2nd out of 169 Rhode Island elementary schools in the 2014-2015 school year and maintaining a 4- or 5-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Matunuck School's academic excellence is evident across multiple metrics. In the 2023-2024 school year, the school outperformed the South Kingstown district and the state of Rhode Island in standardized test scores, with 49.6% of students proficient or better in RICAS/English Language Arts and 57.5% proficient in RICAS/Mathematics. The school's science performance is particularly impressive, with 74.4% of students proficient or better in NGSA/Science, significantly higher than the district's 49.4%. Matunuck School's consistent high performance, ranking in the top 30 Rhode Island elementary schools for most of the past decade, is a key differentiator that sets it apart from many other schools in the region.

Matunuck School's success can be attributed to several factors, including its relatively low student-teacher ratio, ranging from 10.9 to 12.8 over the past three school years, and its higher per-student spending compared to the state average, ranging from $18,088 to $25,358 over the past four school years. The school's performance is particularly strong in the upper elementary grades, with 5th-grade students demonstrating 62.5% proficiency in RICAS/English Language Arts and 71.8% proficiency in RICAS/Mathematics, significantly outpacing the district and state averages. While nearby schools, such as West Kingston School and Peace Dale School, also perform well, Matunuck School stands out as a true model of educational excellence within the South Kingstown district.

Detail:

Public K-5

380 Matunuck Beach Road
Wakefield, RI 02879

(401) 360-1234

District: South Kingstown

SchoolDigger Rank:
32^nd of 166 Rhode Island Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $25,358

Student/teacher ratio: 12.8

Number of students: 205

Racial breakdown:

White:

83.4%

Hispanic:

8.3%

Two or more races:

7.8%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 14.6%

See top rated Rhode Island elementary schools

Compare Matunuck School to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Matunuck School ranks better than 80.7% of elementary schools in Rhode Island. It also ranks first among 3 ranked elementary schools in the South Kingstown School District! (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 82.14. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Matunuck School has the smallest elementary school student body size in the South Kingstown School District. Racial makeup is: White (83.4%), Hispanic (8.3%), two or more races (7.8%). (See more...)

Compare Details 14.6% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Matunuck School is 12.8. 1 elementary schools in the South Kingstown School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Matunuck School employs 16 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Matunuck School is $25,358, which is the highest among 3 elementary schools in the South Kingstown School District!

Schooldigger Rankings:

Matunuck School was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

South Kingstown:

SchoolDigger ranks South Kingstown 13^th of 60 Rhode Island school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

Read all reviews and ratings detail for Matunuck School.

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Rank History for Matunuck School

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	RI State Percentile
2009	89.96	9^th	169	94.7%
2010	92.25	4^th	169	97.6%
2011	85.50	15^th	165	90.9%
2012	90.22	10^th	165	93.9%
2013	89.09	7^th	165	95.8%
2014	88.40	6^th	159	96.2%
2015	96.59	2^nd	169	98.8%
2016	88.44	14^th	170	91.8%
2017	85.62	18^th	168	89.3%
2018	61.13	65^th	169	61.5%
2019	83.39	26^th	169	84.6%
2021	83.78	29^th	166	82.5%
2022	92.94	9^th	166	94.6%
2023	87.56	25^th	167	85.0%
2024	82.14	32^nd	166	80.7%

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

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 5)

100%

Reviews:

by a parent
Tuesday, July 2, 2013

This is our second year at Matunuck Elementary and I have nothing but positive things to say. The teachers are amazing and you can see that they really care about the children. My daughter was new to the school last year an was struggling with reading. The teachers picked up on it immediately and got her the extra help she needed with the reading specialist. She was reading on grade level within 3 months. It has the small town feel of a private school where everyone knows each other. The principal and the administration are very receptive and always make themselves available to the parents. They offer phys ed, art and music and the after school programs are reasonably priced and are a good variety of activities.
Would love to see a foreign language offered as part of the regular school curriculum but I am sure that school budget may not allow for this.
The PTA does great activities for the children and families. Would love to see the school go back to being up to fifth grade!

Overall a wonderful school with great people. I feel very happy leaving my children there every day. Close Quote

Enrollment information for Matunuck School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
1988	282	1	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	283
1989	349	1	4	0	0	n/a	n/a	354
1990	354	n/a	4	4	3	n/a	n/a	365
1991	368	1	4	1	0	n/a	n/a	374
1992	373	1	5	5	1	n/a	n/a	385
1993	390	3	2	1	0	n/a	n/a	396
1994	384	4	4	2	4	n/a	n/a	398
1995	394	4	5	2	7	n/a	n/a	412
1996	394	4	5	2	7	n/a	n/a	412
1997	387	6	3	4	1	n/a	n/a	401
1998	371	7	7	0	2	n/a	n/a	387
1999	382	1	9	1	3	n/a	n/a	396
2000	406	4	5	3	3	n/a	n/a	421
2001	440	3	5	0	2	n/a	n/a	450
2002	318	1	6	1	2	n/a	n/a	328
2003	318	1	6	1	2	n/a	n/a	328
2004	307	2	7	2	2	n/a	n/a	320
2005	265	2	6	3	1	n/a	n/a	277
2006	307	5	4	4	2	n/a	n/a	322
2007	315	6	3	11	2	n/a	n/a	337
2008	314	8	5	10	0	n/a	n/a	337
2009	306	9	5	10	3	n/a	n/a	333
2010	306	10	5	5	5	n/a	n/a	331
2011	238	2	2	3	1	0	10	256
2012	239	1	3	5	0	0	6	254
2013	218	1	2	3	0	0	6	230
2014	216	1	2	6	0	0	9	234
2015	196	0	1	4	1	0	8	210
2016	185	0	1	4	1	0	11	202
2017	182	0	0	5	1	0	13	201
2018	180	0	2	3	1	0	13	199
2019	167	0	0	5	0	0	9	181
2020	164	1	1	3	0	0	9	178
2021	150	3	0	3	2	0	7	165
2022	158	1	0	6	1	0	11	177
2023	171	1	0	17	0	0	16	205

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 Matunuck School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	283	n/a	n/a	8.5
1989	354	n/a	n/a	4.2
1990	365	n/a	n/a	6.6
1991	374	25.1	14.9	6.4
1992	385	24.0	16.0	10.4
1993	396	23.2	17.1	12.6
1994	398	29.0	13.7	9.8
1995	412	27.8	14.8	11.2
1996	412	27.8	14.8	11.2
1997	401	20.6	19.5	0.5
1998	387	19.4	19.9	8.3
1999	396	19.4	20.4	10.1
2000	421	21.0	20.0	9
2001	450	22.0	20.5	6.4
2002	328	n/a	n/a	7.9
2003	328	n/a	n/a	7.9
2004	320	21.0	15.2	6.9
2005	277	14.0	19.8	5.8
2006	322	30.0	10.7	7.8
2007	337	19.2	17.6	9.5
2008	337	26.7	12.6	9.8
2009	333	24.2	9.9	12
2010	331	24.2	13.6	14.8
2011	256	21.2	12.0	13.7
2012	254	25.0	10.1	11
2013	230	17.5	13.1	12.2
2014	234	17.1	13.6	12
2015	210	15.0	14.0	11
2016	202	15.0	13.4	15.3
2017	201	14.4	13.9	10.4
2018	199	13.8	14.3	9
2019	181	14.9	12.1	6.6
2020	178	14.1	12.6	6.2
2021	165	15.1	10.9	8.5
2022	177	15.3	11.5	7.9
2023	205	16.0	12.8	14.6

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 Matunuck School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	283	n/a	n/a	8.5
1989	354	n/a	n/a	4.2
1990	365	n/a	n/a	6.6
1991	374	25.1	14.9	6.4
1992	385	24.0	16.0	10.4
1993	396	23.2	17.1	12.6
1994	398	29.0	13.7	9.8
1995	412	27.8	14.8	11.2
1996	412	27.8	14.8	11.2
1997	401	20.6	19.5	0.5
1998	387	19.4	19.9	8.3
1999	396	19.4	20.4	10.1
2000	421	21.0	20.0	9
2001	450	22.0	20.5	6.4
2002	328	n/a	n/a	7.9
2003	328	n/a	n/a	7.9
2004	320	21.0	15.2	6.9
2005	277	14.0	19.8	5.8
2006	322	30.0	10.7	7.8
2007	337	19.2	17.6	9.5
2008	337	26.7	12.6	9.8
2009	333	24.2	9.9	12
2010	331	24.2	13.6	14.8
2011	256	21.2	12.0	13.7
2012	254	25.0	10.1	11
2013	230	17.5	13.1	12.2
2014	234	17.1	13.6	12
2015	210	15.0	14.0	11
2016	202	15.0	13.4	15.3
2017	201	14.4	13.9	10.4
2018	199	13.8	14.3	9
2019	181	14.9	12.1	6.6
2020	178	14.1	12.6	6.2
2021	165	15.1	10.9	8.5
2022	177	15.3	11.5	7.9
2023	205	16.0	12.8	14.6

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 Matunuck School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2018	$390 (2.2%)	$17,697 (97.8%)	$18,088
2019	$624 (2.8%)	$21,700 (97.2%)	$22,324
2020	$449 (2.1%)	$20,877 (97.9%)	$21,326
2021	$1,095 (4.3%)	$24,262 (95.7%)	$25,358

Data source: Rhode Island Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Matunuck 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 26^th of 169 Elementary schools	Ranks 25^th of 167 Elementary schools	0.4%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Matunuck School)	65.8	59.2	6.6%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (South Kingstown)	67.2	52.9	14.3%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Rhode Island)	47.9	36.8	11.1%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Matunuck School)	56.4	58.5	2.1%
3rd Grade Mathematics (South Kingstown)	49	53.6	4.6%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Rhode Island)	36.1	34.5	1.6%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Matunuck School)	55.9	50	5.9%
4th Grade English Language Arts (South Kingstown)	51.6	42.3	9.3%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Rhode Island)	37.2	33.3	3.9%
4th Grade Mathematics (Matunuck School)	58.8	66.7	7.9%
4th Grade Mathematics (South Kingstown)	50	45.5	4.5%
4th Grade Mathematics (Rhode Island)	32.6	36	3.4%
All Grades English Language Arts (Matunuck School)	61.1	55.2	5.9%
All Grades English Language Arts (South Kingstown)	58.3	49.8	8.5%
All Grades Mathematics (Matunuck School)	57.5	62	4.5%
All Grades Mathematics (South Kingstown)	50	46.8	3.2%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	181	205	13.3%
African American	0	1
American Indian	0	0
Asian	0	0
Hispanic	5	17	240%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	167	171	2.4%
Two or More Races	9	16	77.8%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	6.6%	14.6%	8%

Schools Near Matunuck 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
Matunuck School	Public	K-5	380 Matunuck Beach Road	Wakefield	02879	Washington County	South Kingstown	No	(n/a)	No	No	(401) 360-1234	205	16	12.8	14.6%	171 (83.4%)	1 (0.5%)	17 (8.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (7.8%)	82.1	32^nd of 166 public elementary schools	80.7%		87.6	25^th of 167 public elementary schools	85.0%	7	74.4	43.2	44.2	62.5				49.6	47.2	53.8	71.8				57.5	$25,358	$1,095	$24,263
Narragansett Elementary	Public	PK, KG-4	55 Mumford Road	Narragansett	02882	Washington County	Narragansett	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(401) 792-9420	343	28	12.1	16.9%	282 (82.2%)	4 (1.2%)	17 (5.0%)	8 (2.3%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	31 (9.0%)	96.1	3^rd of 166 public elementary schools	98.2%		97.1	3^rd of 167 public elementary schools	98.2%			76.4	58.1					66.7	85.5	67.2					75.6	$19,674	$1,559	$18,115
Peace Dale School	Public	PK, KG-5	109 Kersey Road	Peace Dale	02879	Washington County	South Kingstown	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(401) 360-1600	354	31	11.2	25.1%	274 (77.4%)	7 (2.0%)	30 (8.5%)	6 (1.7%)	13 (3.7%)	0 (0.0%)	24 (6.8%)	67.1	51^st of 166 public elementary schools	69.3%		68.8	52^nd of 167 public elementary schools	68.9%	1	39.3	50.0	52.5	28.1				41.0	60.8	52.5	36.4				47.5	$18,535	$1,336	$17,199
West Kingston School	Public	K-5	3119 Ministerial Road	West Kingston	02892	Washington County	South Kingstown	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(401) 360-1130	306	18	17.1	14.4%	242 (79.1%)	10 (3.3%)	22 (7.2%)	10 (3.3%)	7 (2.3%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (4.9%)	80.7	34^th of 166 public elementary schools	79.5%		66.5	54^th of 167 public elementary schools	67.7%	20	48.2	69.6	41.8	41.1				50.9	70.2	45.5	50.0				55.4	$24,805	$1,575	$23,230
Charlestown Elementary School	Public	K-4	363 Carolina Back Road	Charlestown	02813	Washington County	Chariho	No	(n/a)	No	No	(401) 364-7716	237	20	12.0	15.6%	206 (86.9%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (3.4%)	2 (0.8%)	7 (3.0%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (5.9%)	73.9	45^th of 166 public elementary schools	72.9%		90.1	16^th of 167 public elementary schools	90.4%	29		61.1	32.7					44.0	50.0	60.7					56.5	$19,613	$566	$19,047
The Compass School	Public, Charter	K-8	537 Old North Road	Kingston	02881	Washington County	The Compass School	Yes	(n/a)	No	Yes	(401) 788-8322	215	17	12.6	9.3%	189 (87.9%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (7.0%)	2 (0.9%)	2 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (3.3%)	86.8	24^th of 166 public elementary schools	85.5%		78.2	37^th of 167 public elementary schools	77.8%	13	65.5	70.0	35.0	56.7	50.0	50.0	59.3	53.5	70.0	50.0	50.0	43.3	48.4	39.3	49.1	$11,032	$224	$10,808
Kingston Hill Academy	Public, Charter	K-5	850 Stony Fort Road	Saunderstown	02874	Washington County	Kingston Hill Academy	Yes	(n/a)	No	Yes	(401) 783-8282	260	20	13.2	9.2%	203 (78.1%)	7 (2.7%)	19 (7.3%)	11 (4.2%)	1 (0.4%)	1 (0.4%)	18 (6.9%)	87.5	22^nd of 166 public elementary schools	86.7%		88.9	23^rd of 167 public elementary schools	86.2%	1	58.1	50.0	60.0	67.4				58.9	47.8	82.5	65.1				64.3	$13,397	$518	$12,879
Richmond Elementary School	Public	K-4	190 Kingstown Road	Wyoming	02898	Washington County	Chariho	No	(n/a)	No	No	(401) 539-2441	405	30	13.3	17.0%	354 (87.4%)	2 (0.5%)	20 (4.9%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	26 (6.4%)	88.2	19^th of 166 public elementary schools	88.6%		94	9^th of 167 public elementary schools	94.6%	10		53.2	64.4					59.7	53.2	74.7					65.8	$16,051	$137	$15,914
Jamestown School-Melrose	Public	PK, KG-4	76 Melrose Avenue	Jamestown	02835	Newport County	Jamestown	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(401) 423-7020	224	20	11.0	5.8%	209 (93.3%)	2 (0.9%)	1 (0.4%)	2 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (4.5%)	94.5	6^th of 166 public elementary schools	96.4%		94.1	8^th of 167 public elementary schools	95.2%	2		91.2	65.8					77.8		59.0					78.1	$18,200	$1,490	$16,710
Dunn's Corners School	Public	K-4	8 1/2 Plateau Road	Westerly	02891	Washington County	Westerly	No	(n/a)	No	No	(401) 348-2320	271	23	11.7	31.4%	225 (83.0%)	4 (1.5%)	14 (5.2%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.7%)	1 (0.4%)	24 (8.9%)	74.1	43^rd of 166 public elementary schools	74.1%		69.4	50^th of 167 public elementary schools	70.1%	7		58.3	34.6					46.0	58.3	50.0					54.0	$18,961	$849	$18,112

Frequently Asked Questions about Matunuck School

Is Matunuck School a good school?

Matunuck School ranks 32^nd of 166 Rhode Island elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Matunuck School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 205 students attended Matunuck School.

What district is Matunuck School in?

South Kingstown

What is the racial makeup of Matunuck School?

Students at Matunuck School are 83% White, 8% Hispanic, 8% Two or more races.

What schools do graduates of Matunuck School attend?

Students who attend Matunuck School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Broad Rock Middle School
High : South Kingstown High

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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.