Choosing a school? Youāve got options.
If youāre looking for a great school for your child, youāre not alone. Thousands of other parents are making school choices for their children in Rhode Island every year. You can do it!
There are a variety of K-12 education options available for Rhode Island families. Knowing these options can help you find a learning environment where your child is able not just to āget byā at school, but to learn and thrive.
In Rhode Island, families can choose fromĀ traditional public schools,Ā public charter schools,Ā public magnet schools, private schools,Ā online learning,Ā homeschooling, and microschooling and mix-and-match learning.
One factor that many families consider when choosing a school is transportation. In Rhode Island, transportation is available for students who attend their assigned public school, attend a public charter or private school within their resident school district’s established bus region, or have transportation services in their Individualized Education Plan (IEP). Transportation to other types of schools may be available – this transportation guide has an overview of all the available options.
Looking for special education options? You can learn what special education services are available in Rhode Island at theĀ Ultimate Guide to Special Education.
Widely
Available
Traditional Public Schools
Public Charter Schools
Private Schools
Homeschooling
Microschooling
Partially
Available
Public School Transfers
Public Magnet Schools
State Choice Funding
Online Learning
Download the School Choice Snapshot for Rhode Island
Click a School Type to See Your Options
Traditional Public School
Free public school based on your address or zone
Public Charter School
Free public schools open to all students run by an independent board of directors
Homeschool
School that takes place in your own home
Online Learning
Schools where students attend virtually, can be free public or private schools
Microschool
School that takes place with a small group of students
Rhode Island Traditional Public Schools
Most Rhode Island families choose traditional public schools, which are operated by schoolĀ districts, free to attend, open to all students, and funded by federal, state, and local government.Ā Rhode Island spends, on average,Ā $18,366Ā per public school pupil each year. In Rhode Island,Ā 78.7% of all K-12 studentsĀ are enrolled in traditional public schools.
In Rhode Island, the state allows each district to set its ownĀ open enrollmentĀ policies. Open enrollment refers to whether parents can send their children to any public school, regardless of where it is located. Rhode Island parents wanting to transfer their child to a different public school than the one they are assigned should contact their local school district to see if this is an option. In some cases,Ā the state provides transportationĀ for students who attend a school outside their city or town.
The transfer process and timeline will vary by district. For a real-world example, check out North Providence School Departmentās guidelinesOpens PDF in new tab for transfers within the district.
Open enrollment can be a valuable form of public school choice, widening parentsā options and ensuring that their zip code isnāt the sole determiner of their childrenās education. You can find out more about public schools in your state at theĀ Rhode Island Department of Education.Ā You can also learn more about open enrollment at āPublic Schools Without Boundaries: A 50-State Ranking.ā
Rhode Island Charter Schools
Rhode Island families can currently choose from aboutĀ 35 public charter schools.Ā Like traditional public schools, charter schools are public, free, and typically have no requirements for entry. What distinguishes charter schools is that they have extra freedom to innovate with learning methods and are accountable toĀ authorizing bodiesĀ for results. In Rhode Island,Ā 8.3% of all K-12 studentsĀ are enrolled in public charter schools.
Each school has a charter which explains the schoolās purpose and what specific community need it serves. That could be providing aĀ STEM programĀ or offering a rigorous, literacy-based curriculum. If there are more families seeking admittance to a charter school than there are seats, a lottery system (like drawing random names out of a hat!) is usually used to determine admittance.
The application period for charter school enrollment in Rhode Island is typicallyĀ late-November through mid-March. In 2022, a record number of families applied to Rhode Island charters ā schools receivedĀ 23,263 applications for 2,353 available seats!
Rhode Island first passed charter school legislation in 1995. Charter schools may beĀ authorized by school districts, nonprofit organizations, colleges, or even the mayor of a city or town.
A bill signed into law in June of 2026 placed a three-year moratorium on the opening of new charter schools in the state – including any previously approved but not yet open schools. While no new charter schools will open during this time period, all existing charter schools will continue to operate as normal.
Free transportation is provided to all Rhode Island charter school students living within their school district’s bus route. Out-of-district students may also receive transportation if they reside within the bus route of the district and submit a yearly request.
The bus regions are as follows:
Region 1: The towns of Burrillville, North Smithfield, and Cumberland, and the city of Woonsocket
Region 2: The county of Kent, except the town of West Greenwich, and the towns of Foster, Glocester, and Scituate
Region 3: The towns of Lincoln, Smithfield, Johnston, North Providence, and Barrington, and the cities of Cranston, Central Falls, East Providence, Pawtucket, and Providence
Region 4: The county of Washington and the towns of Jamestown and West Greenwich
Region 5: The towns of Little Compton, Middletown, Portsmouth, Warren, and Bristol, and Tiverton, and the city of Newport
Students with special needs and an Individualized Education Program (IEP) are eligible for transportation assistance.
Learn more about the stateās charters atĀ The Rhode Island League of Charter Schools.
Rhode Island Magnet Schools
Magnet schools are free public schools that allow kids to narrow in on a specific learning track, such as engineering or the performing arts. Magnet schools teach all subjects through the lenses of that track. Rhode Island has just a couple of magnet schools at present, such asĀ Classical High SchoolĀ in Providence, which focuses on study of the arts, languages, and humanities. Ā If you live near a magnet school and its theme interests your child, it could be an exciting option to consider.
Rhode Island Private Schools
Families can also choose private schools. These are nonpublic schools that charge tuition and come in all shapes and sizes. Private schools offer a unique learning environment that may be smaller in size, pass on a faith tradition, or provide aĀ curriculumĀ not available in your district school.
At Providence Hebrew Day School, for instance, students receive an education rooted in Jewish tradition. āMy perspective is never on removing or taking away from the public schools, but much more just to highlight the strengths of a strong private school education and how the kids end up and where they go,ā said dean Rabbi Scheinerman. āEvery parent should be entitled to pick and choose the education that works best for their kids.ā
There are aboutĀ 170Ā private schools across the state of Rhode Island. The average tuition for private schools in the state isĀ $19,393Ā for elementary schools andĀ $34,245Ā for high schools.
Education Funding Opportunities:
Rhode Island students whose family incomes are at or below 250% of the poverty level ($75,000 for a family of four in 2024ā25) are eligible for private school scholarships of varying amounts. In 2022, nearly 500Ā (0.3%) students participated in theĀ scholarship programĀ and received an average of $2,890 in scholarship funding.
Learn more at theĀ Diocese of Providence Catholic School Directory,Ā theĀ Rhode Island Scholarship Alliance, andĀ Private School Review: Rhode Island.
Rhode Island Online Learning
Donāt overlook online learning! It offers a uniquely flexible learning environment that meets a variety of family needs. Whether your child wants to accelerate learning or needs a quieter, stress-free environment to focus in, you may be interested in trying virtual school.
WhileĀ most states offer free, full-time online learning, Rhode Island does not currently do so.Ā Rhode Island Connections AcademyĀ offered a free, full-time online learning option for Rhode Island students in 2021 and 2022, but closed at the end of the 2022-2023 school year.
However, there are paid, full-time online learning options available to students in all 50 states, Rhode Island included. These paid options includeĀ George Washington University Online High School,Ā The Keystone School,Ā Excel High School, andĀ K12 Private Academy.
Plus, most Rhode Island students can enroll in part-time online courses through their local school district. You can contact your local public school to ask whether there are free or paid online options available to you. The Rhode Island Department of EducationāsĀ All Course NetworkĀ is one option for taking individual online courses.
Finally, some districts offer programs with blended learning components, including the Village Green Virtual Public Charter High School,Ā Nowell Leadership Academy,Ā Pleasant View Elementary School,Ā Highlander Charter School, andĀ Providence Career and Technical Academy.
To read more about online learning in Rhode Island, check out the Digital Learning Collaborativeās state profile.Opens PDF in new tab
Rhode Island Homeschooling
Rhode Island families can also choose to homeschool, a great option if you are looking for high levels of personalization in learning. All 50 states allow homeschooling, which is the process of parents educating students at home.
In Rhode Island,Ā 1.9% of all K-12 studentsĀ are homeschooled.
Homeschooling Requirements:
It is required that you provide notice of your intent to homeschool prior to starting.Ā In Rhode Island, families must submit their homeschooling program to the local school committee in their district for approval, making it the only state that requires local committee approval. Each local school committee may also set additional requirements for homeschoolers. Formally withdrawing from public school is required in some districts and recommended in all. In the case that you decide to return to public school, notify your district committee.
It’s good to note that the state does not necessarily require homeschoolers to take state standardized tests. However, they require some form of annual assessment.
You can learn more about Rhode Island homeschooling at the stateāsĀ Department of Education page, or check out this greatĀ how-to from the Home School Legal Defense Association.
Rhode Island Microschooling and Mix-and-Match Learning
Today, many Rhode Island families are mixing and matching school options to come up with new ways to personalize education.Ā MicroschoolsĀ are one of these ways. A microschool refers to students gathering together in a small group ā with adult supervision ā to learn, explore, and socialize. Microschools can take a variety of shapes and legal forms, from homeschoolers coming together at an enrichment center to a private school committed to small classrooms. What microschools share in common is a commitment to small-group learning and close-knit relationships, along with an emphasis on children as individual learners.
Examples of microschools and related resources in your state:
- Providence Hybrid AcademyĀ is a Charlotte Mason-inspired hybrid academy for children in the Greater Lehigh Valley.
- Sometimes learning pods are even district-run. For example, theĀ Central Falls School DistrictĀ won a grant to develop anĀ innovative learning pod modelĀ to give highschoolers a more flexible path to a diploma.
- Orchid MontessoriĀ is a Wildflower Montessori-affiliated microschool for young learnersĀ in East Providence.
Remember, microschooling is more a mentality than a specific legal distinction in most cases. Often, a family participates in a microschool while legally homeschooling, or being enrolled in a private or online school.
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