enrollment
Rhode Island has posted six straight years of enrollment decline
RI public schools have lost students every year since 2019-20. The six-year streak erased 9,728 students and shows no sign of ending.
Rhode Island Education News & Data
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district-spotlight
Portsmouth and South Kingstown each logged 15 straight years of decline
Portsmouth and South Kingstown each posted 15 consecutive years of enrollment decline, losing a combined 2,002 students since 2010-11.
special-populations
About one in six Rhode Island students is an English learner
English learners now make up 15.2% of Rhode Island enrollment, up from 5.9% in 2011-12, even as growth nearly stopped in 2025-26.
special-populations
Rhode Island nears one-in-five students in special education
Rhode Island's special-education share hit 19.2% in 2025-26, nearing one in five students, as the state added 3,328 students to the rolls since 2020-21.
demographics
Hispanic students now account for nearly one-third of Rhode Island enrollment
Hispanic enrollment in Rhode Island climbed to 42,974 students in 2025-26, reaching 32.1% of the student body after 14 years of nearly unbroken growth.
enrollment
Half of Rhode Island districts now enroll fewer than 1,000 students
Thirty-two of Rhode Island's 64 districts now enroll fewer than 1,000 students, up from 22 in 2010-11, raising questions about fixed costs and long-term viability.
equity
Rhode Island's economically disadvantaged share jumped above 54%
Rhode Island's economically disadvantaged share leapt from 44% to 54% in a single year, raising questions about whether the jump reflects real hardship or a reporting change.
enrollment
Rhode Island districts are split: 22 at record lows, 16 at record highs
In 2025-26, 22 Rhode Island districts sit at all-time enrollment lows while 16 are at all-time highs, revealing a state where averages mask diverging realities.
district-spotlight
Cumberland stands alone at a traditional-district enrollment high
Cumberland is the only large non-charter district in Rhode Island at an all-time enrollment high, reaching 4,919 students in 2025-26.
enrollment
COVID-year size paradox: small RI districts grew while large districts shrank
Rhode Island's smallest districts gained students during the 2020-21 pandemic shock while its largest lost thousands, a size paradox that complicates statewide planning.
school-choice
Charter schools now enroll 10% of Rhode Island's public-school students
Rhode Island charter enrollment hit 13,441 students in 2025-26, crossing 10% of public-school enrollment for the first time as traditional districts shed 20,664 students.
school-choice
Excel Academy Rhode Island enrollment nearly quadruples in three years
Excel Academy RI grew from 117 to 444 students in three years, leading the state in gains even as Rhode Island lost 9,728 students.
special-populations
After 13 years of growth, Rhode Island's English learner surge freezes
Rhode Island gained just 7 English learners in 2025-26 after adding 1,930 the year before. What a sudden freeze means for staffing and services.
enrollment
Rhode Island public school enrollment falls below 135,000 for the first time
After a near-flat year hinted at a floor, Rhode Island lost 2,149 students and dropped below 135,000 for the first time.
demographics
White students are no longer the majority in Rhode Island schools
White students fell below 50% of Rhode Island enrollment for the first time as the state posted its steepest drop since the pandemic.
