An Overview of the Portsmouth School Department
The Portsmouth School Department educates children from kindergarten through twelfth grade levels in six schools. In addition, in accordance with federal law we also provide services to students with identified needs in the Portsmouth pre-school population. Portsmouth is a residential community of approximately 17,149 residents according to the 2000 census. It is located in Newport County, Rhode Island, on Aquidneck Island and is also comprised of Prudence and Hog Islands. Portsmouth is about twenty-two miles southeast of Providence and approximately ten miles from Fall River, Massachusetts. Sixty percent of the students come from professional and managerial families, four percent from skilled and office career type families, nineteen percent from skilled trade families, and the remainder from a variety of occupations. Portsmouth's residents tend to be well-educated with 23.9% having a high school diploma and 42.9% having a bachelor's degree or higher. Approximately 460 of the students are from families in the Uniformed Services. The median family income, as measured by the 2000 census was $68,577.00. The per capita income was $28,161.00. According to the 2000 census, 3.1% of the community is non-white and 12,820 of the residents are 18 years or older.
Students from Little Compton attend Portsmouth High School. Little Compton is located just south of Tiverton and is bordered by Massachusetts. Students traveling from Little Compton to Portsmouth High School must be bused in and travel over the Sakonnet River Bridge. Little Compton is a residential community, as well, with a population of 3,593 according to the 2000 census. Little Compton's residents are also well-educated with 22% having a high school diploma and 45% having a bachelor's degree or higher. There were no active military service people residing in Little Compton as of the 2000 census. A median household income for Little Compton according to Census 2000 was $55,368 and family income was $62,750.
