The top reported proficiency rate is 34% in English language arts. The lowest is 32% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Cedar Hill School
Cedar Hill School sits on Red Chimney Drive in Warwick, the third-largest city in Rhode Island. It is a regular public elementary school serving kindergarten through fifth grade, part of the Warwick district. The surrounding community has a suburban-to-urban texture, organized around distinct village centers rather than a single traditional downtown. Warwick's eastern edge runs along the Providence River and Narragansett Bay, and the city is defined in part by T. F. Green International Airport, which sits within its boundaries and doubles as a commuter rail station with weekday service to Providence and Boston. Interstate 95 cuts through the city as the major thoroughfare. Most daily trips here depend on a car, though the rail station gives residents a transit option northward. Civic life and commerce spread across villages like Apponaug, Pawtuxet Village, Oakland Beach, and Conimicut, with schools occupying separate campuses rather than clustering around a central core.
The school serves a modest enrollment for its grade band. Its student body is predominantly white, with smaller Hispanic and multiracial populations, along with a few Asian and Black students. A relatively small share of students qualify for free or reduced-price meals, well below what many urban elementary schools see. Data on individualized education programs and English learners was not available in the provided materials, so those populations could not be characterized here. A parent wanting to understand the full range of student support may want to ask the school directly about those figures.
On state assessments, Cedar Hill's results sit in a middling range. Roughly a third of tested students reached proficiency in English language arts, and a similar portion did so in math, based on the most recent RICAS results. Fifth-grade science proficiency was close to that same level. Participation was near-universal across all tested subjects, which means the results reflect nearly the entire eligible student body rather than a self-selected subset. Only one year of assessment data was available, so there is no trend to speak of. The school's average scale scores in ELA and math were essentially identical, suggesting a relatively even performance profile across those two subjects.
Warwick's broader district context includes ongoing investment in school infrastructure. The city council has backed a bond to rebuild its two comprehensive high schools, with renovations expected soon, and a school consolidation effort has already closed one building. These changes do not directly alter Cedar Hill's operation, but they signal a district in a period of facility transition. The district brief did not surface other parent-relevant changes of lasting impact, so none are reported here.
The housing market around Cedar Hill is moderately priced by Rhode Island standards. Typical home values in the school's zip code run below the state benchmark but above the national one, and rents are in a range that many working families in the area can absorb, with rent taking up about a third of a typical household's income. Mortgage costs at current rates run higher than rents, which shapes the buy-versus-rent calculus for families moving into the area. The local economy draws on healthcare, logistics, financial services, retail, and education, with Kent Memorial Hospital, Citizens Bank, UPS, MetLife, and the Community College of Rhode Island among the larger employers. The airport itself functions as an employment hub.
Cedar Hill does not stand out as a magnet or charter option. It is a neighborhood elementary school in a city where schools are woven into dispersed village settings rather than a single walkable center. Families considering the area should weigh the convenience of a car-dependent suburban lifestyle with rail access against their priorities for academic performance and student composition. The proficiency figures suggest solid but not exceptional academic outcomes, and the school's relatively low share of economically disadvantaged students is a defining characteristic of its peer environment. Data on staffing, discipline, attendance, and program offerings was not available, so those dimensions of school life remain uncharacterized in this account.
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