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What do you wish you knew before starting at William E. Tolman High?
Community prompt from u/allk12. Replies below.
Enrollment
995
High
DISTRICT 646 · STATE 679
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·PAWTUCKET·NCES 440084000202
William E. Tolman High
150 Exchange Street, Pawtucket, RI 02860 · (401) 729-6400 · Providence County
GRADES 09–12HIGH21-SUBURBTITLE IREGULAR SCHOOL995 STUDENTS
Student : Teacher
14.6:1
68 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 12.9:1 · STATE 12.8:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
71%
709 students
DISTRICT 75% · STATE 54%
Community
1
0 members
Enrollment and student:teacher ratio compared against other high schools. Free/Reduced Lunch and demographics compared against all schools.
Enrollment by grade, 2024-25
| Grade | Students | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Grade 9 | 192 | 19% |
| Grade 10 | 250 | 25% |
| Grade 11 | 286 | 29% |
| Grade 12 | 267 | 27% |
Student demographics
70%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 70% · STATE 64% · US 70%
Student head counts by race/ethnicity from federal NCES enrollment data. District, state, and US figures are each group's share of all public school students in that area (US excludes territories). Very small groups may be suppressed in the source, so categories do not always sum exactly to total enrollment.
Gender split
Schools most like William E. Tolman High
| School | Students | Low-income | Proficient |
|---|---|---|---|
| William E. Tolman High this school | 995 | 71.3% | N/A |
| Metropolitan Career Tech Ctr Providence | 817 | 71.8% | N/A |
| Davies Career-Tech High School Lincoln | 898 | 58.9% | N/A |
| Charles E. Shea High School Pawtucket | 770 | 81.3% | N/A |
| Times2 Middle/High School Providence | 383 | 76.0% | N/A |
| RINI Middle College Providence | 462 | 84.2% | N/A |
Matched among Rhode Island high schools on enrollment, the share of students from low-income families (eligible for free or reduced-price lunch), and racial and ethnic makeup. Proficient is the average share of students meeting the state standard across all of the school's state tests in 2023-24 and 2024-25, the same combined score our test-score rankings use. Online schools and schools serving specialized populations are not matched.
Where William E. Tolman High ranks
Among high schools| Measure | This school | In Rhode Island | In Providence County |
|---|---|---|---|
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 995 | #16 of 63 | #10 of 44 |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 14.6:1 | #46 of 54 | #29 of 36 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 70.0% | #2 of 53 | #2 of 35 |
| Free and reduced lunch ranked highest share first | 71.3% | #26 of 61 | #25 of 42 |
| Enrollment change since 2017-18 ranked fastest growth first | +12.2% | #8 of 21 | #8 of 20 |
Ranked against other public high schools. Online schools are left out of every list, and test-score lists leave out schools that serve specialized populations. Each rank links to the full list. Arrows under a test-score rank show places moved since the prior test year, among schools tested both years.
4-year change
SY 2020-21 vs SY 2024-25Enrollment
995
-47 (-5%) vs 2020
-2% since 1990-91, when it was 1,012
Student : Teacher
14.6:1
was 17.4:1
Source: NCES Common Core of Data
Enrollment and staffing by year
| School year | Students | Teachers (FTE) | Students per teacher | Free and reduced lunch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 995 | 68 | 14.6:1 | 71% (709) |
| 2023-24 | 1,027 | 68 | 15.1:1 | 48% (489) |
| 2022-23 | 1,056 | 74 | 14.3:1 | 52% (554) |
| 2020-21 | 1,042 | 60 | 17.4:1 | 67% (700) |
| 2017-18 | 887 | 75.1 | 11.8:1 | 56% (501) |
| 2015-16 | 1,012 | 85 | 11.9:1 | 66% (668) |
| 2010-11 | 1,277 | 96 | 13.3:1 | 62% (789) |
| 2000-01 | 1,245 | 82 | 15.2:1 | 30% (374) |
| 1990-91 | 1,012 | 75 | 13.5:1 | N/A |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for William E. Tolman High.
Since 2017-18: students up 12% (887 to 995); teachers down 9% (75.1 to 68).
About William E. Tolman High
William E. Tolman High is a medium-sized high school in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, administered by Pawtucket. Enrollment is 995 students in 2024-25, and the school serves grades 9 through 12. The average for high schools in Rhode Island is about 679 students, so this school is 47% above average.
Pawtucket runs William E. Tolman High along with 15 other schools, enrolling 7,708 students in total.
Hispanic students form the largest group at William E. Tolman High, 38% of enrollment. Next come 25% Black, 23% White, and 6% multiracial. That compares with about 26% Hispanic among all Providence County residents. By the diversity index, William E. Tolman High comes in at 70%.
A ratio of 14.6:1 comes from the school's 68 full-time-equivalent teachers. The 12.8:1 average for high schools in Rhode Island is lower than this school's figure. The lunch program counts 71% of students at William E. Tolman High as eligible for free or reduced-price meals.
Among Providence County residents, median household income is about $78,787, 32% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and about 9% of people live in poverty. Federal data list 206 public schools in Providence County, with a combined enrollment of about 88,799.
Henry J. Winters School is the public school closest to William E. Tolman High, about 0.5 miles away. Inside a five-mile radius, there are at least 8 other public schools.
The NCES locale for William E. Tolman High is Suburb: Large, which covers schools in a suburban area outside a principal city, within an urbanized area with a population of 250,000 or more.
A comparison of 2020-21 and 2024-25 shows enrollment down 5%, from 1,042 to 995. The school's ratio fell from 17.4:1 to 14.6:1 between 2020-21 and 2024-25.
Discussion on this page can cover sports tryouts, band and choir, and theater. Posting is open to anyone connected to the school.
Providence County at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
664,854
Census ACS
Median income
$78,787
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
32%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
9%
Below federal line
Schools in county
206
88,799 students
Quick facts
Related schools
Other schools in Pawtucket
- Charles E. Shea High SchoolHigh · 770 students
- Joseph Jenks Middle SchoolMiddle · 697 students
- Lyman B. Goff Middle SchoolMiddle · 637 students
- Samuel Slater Middle SchoolMiddle · 590 students
- Henry J. Winters SchoolElementary · 550 students
- Fallon Memorial SchoolElementary · 520 students
Other schools in Pawtucket
- Charles E. Shea High SchoolHigh · 770 students
- Joseph Jenks Middle SchoolMiddle · 697 students
- Lyman B. Goff Middle SchoolMiddle · 637 students
- Samuel Slater Middle SchoolMiddle · 590 students
- Henry J. Winters SchoolElementary · 550 students
- Fallon Memorial SchoolElementary · 520 students
Nearby schools
- Henry J. Winters School0.5 mi · 550
- Agnes E. Little School0.5 mi · 320
- Jacqueline M. Walsh School0.6 mi · 173
- Joseph Jenks Middle School0.6 mi · 697
- Central Falls Sr High0.7 mi · 788
- Blackstone Academy Charter0.8 mi · 357
Frequently asked questions
About William E. Tolman HighWhat is the total enrollment at William E. Tolman High?
William E. Tolman High enrolls approximately 995 students in grades 09-12.
What age range does William E. Tolman High serve?
William E. Tolman High serves students from grade 09 through grade 12.
How many students per teacher at William E. Tolman High?
Approximately 14.6:1 students per teacher at William E. Tolman High.
What is the racial breakdown of students at William E. Tolman High?
At William E. Tolman High, the student body is approximately 23% White, 38% Hispanic, 25% Black, 1% Asian, 6% Two or more.
Is William E. Tolman High public or private?
William E. Tolman High is a public K-12 school, overseen by Pawtucket.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.