Two weeks ago we presented health and safety data from Rhode Island KIDS COUNT’s 2023 Snapshot for Providence. This week we’re sharing data on education. Our city’s future depends, in many ways, on the school system and the options available for our kids- take a look at how we’re doing, and especially, how we compare to the rest of the state:
40,021 Child population of Providence (as of the 2020 US Census).
19,856 Providence Public School District K-12 enrollment in 2023, down from 23,836 in 2019, a drop of 20% over four years.
6,132 Providence students enrolled in public charter (non-District) schools in 2023, up from 4,246 in 2020, a rise of 44% over three years.
78% Percent of Providence Public School students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch based on family income in 2023, compared to 44% statewide.
42% Percent of Providence Public School students participating in the School Breakfast Program, compared to 16% statewide.
37% Providence students who are Multilingual Learners, which means that they speak a language other than English at home and are in the process of learning English,
20% Percent of Providence students enrolled in fall of 2023 who withdrew or changed schools before the end of the school year. “Student mobility” is a strong indicator of lower educational outcomes. The statewide student mobility rate was 12% in 2023.
15% Providence eighth grade students meeting expectations for reading in 2023, compared to 32% statewide.
6% Providence eighth grade students meeting expectations for math in 2023, compared to 23% statewide.
33% Percent of Providence schools identified for state intervention based on poor educational outcomes, compared to 7% statewide.
77% High school graduation rate for Providence students in 2023, compared to 84% for Rhode Island as a whole.
52% College enrollment rate for graduating Providence seniors, compared to 65% statewide.
Sources: Rhode Island KIDS COUNT: Snaphot of Providence for 2024 and 2024 Rhode Island KIDS COUNT Factbook. The Providence Eye: Where are Providence’s Missing Students? (March 13, 2024)
Jonathan Howard is Co-founder of Cause & Effect, Inc., a consulting company that provides strategic planning facilitation, fund development planning and board strengthening to mission-driven organizations. He is a long- time resident of Providence.
