Howard Hathaway School

Howard Hathaway School is a middle-of-the-pack K-5 school in Portsmouth, Rhode Island, operated by Portsmouth. The school instructs 409 students in grades K through 4. Enrollment runs roughly 23% larger than the state mean of about 332.

Howard Hathaway School is one of 4 schools operated by Portsmouth, a district that serves 2,114 students overall.

Looking at the student body, Howard Hathaway School records that the largest single group is White, at 79% of enrollment. The remainder consists of 10% Hispanic, 9% multiracial.

In terms of school funding signals, The school lists 30 full-time-equivalent teachers, for a student-teacher ratio near 13.6:1. The state averages about 13.6:1, putting this campus right in line with peers. An estimated 24% of students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, a number frequently used as a low-income enrollment indicator. That share is lower than Newport County's rate of about 38%.

Zooming out to the county, the surrounding county (Newport County) reports that the typical household earns roughly $103,514 per year, roughly 54% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and roughly 5% of residents live below the federal poverty line. Across Newport County's 21 public schools (combined enrollment of about 7,784 students), Howard Hathaway School is one campus in the mix.

Portsmouth High School is the nearest neighboring public school, about 0.4 miles from this campus. Counting just inside five miles, 8 other public schools cluster around Howard Hathaway School.

Howard Hathaway School operates from an outer-ring location.

Trend over the last 7 years. Over the past 7-year window, the student count declined 9%: 450 students in 2018 compared to 409 in 2025. Over the same period, the White share decreased from 91% to 79%. The student-to-teacher ratio fell from 17.7:1 in 2018 to 13.6:1 today.

On the community side, the feed for Howard Hathaway School typically covers science fair prep, picture-day reminders, and bus-route questions. Contributors range from current parents to recent graduates and teachers.