Enrollment
995
Rhode Island · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Pawtucket, RI
William E. Tolman High
Federal NCES profile for William E. Tolman High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 28/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 440084000202
👥 S:T ratio 46
📚 AP courses 30
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 34
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
William E. Tolman High earns 28/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Rhode Island median. It is also one of the largest schools in Rhode Island.
- #4 of 4
- high schools in Pawtucket · Resource Index
- 28
- Resource Index · Lower
- 13.4:1
- students per teacher
- 49.0%
- free-lunch eligible
William E. Tolman High has class sizes near the Rhode Island median. Computed live against every Rhode Island school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, William E. Tolman High ranks #4 of 4 high schools in Pawtucket, RI.
School address
District: Pawtucket · Rhode Island
NCES ID 440084000202 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
74.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.4:1
vs 13.8:1 Rhode Island avg
-3% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
49.0%
vs 39.6% Rhode Island avg
+24% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How William E. Tolman High compares with Rhode Island and U.S. medians
What stands out at William E. Tolman High
William E. Tolman High is a large high school in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, enrolling 995 students.
At 13.4:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Rhode Island median, within a few percentage points of the 13.8:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 49.0% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Rhode Island, bigger than 95% of state schools at 995 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 308 scored Rhode Island schools.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (40%) and African American (27%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 70/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 6 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 332 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 63.9% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 16.2% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Pawtucket's high schools, it stands alongside Charles E. Shea High School (770 students): William E. Tolman High is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (13.4:1 vs 12:1).
Pawtucket also operates Charles E. Shea High School (770 students) and Joseph Jenks Middle School (697 students) alongside William E. Tolman High.
Sourced from NCES CCD, CRDC, and F-33 (federal records, not a quality verdict). How we source and compute this.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How William E. Tolman High compares
William E. Tolman High on the metrics families compare, against Rhode Island and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Rhode Island | Rhode Island avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 13.4:1 | ▼ 3% | 13.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 49.0% | ▲ 24% | 39.6% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 995 | top 5% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.4:1
Leaner classes than 63% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
995
Bigger than 91% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
49.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 24% above the Rhode Island average of 39.6%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
13.4:1
students per teacher
- 3% below state mean
Top 56% in Rhode Island - lower ratio than 44% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
63.9%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
At or above 20%, the commonly used threshold for "high" chronic absenteeism, signaling significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$17,139
per pupil, district-wide
- below Rhode Island avg of $20,315
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors3.0 FTE
Per 332 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 84 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 8.4 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
- Common Core of Data (June 2026): enrollment, staffing, and the student-teacher ratio above.
- Civil Rights Data Collection: discipline counts and program access (AP, gifted, special education).
- F-33 School District Finance Survey: the district-wide per-pupil spending figures below.
Three separate federal collections, each on its own reporting cadence - which is why this school's numbers line up on a consistent basis against every other school and state on this site, rather than mixing figures pulled from different survey years.
Student demographics
Hispanic or Latino 40.3%
African American 26.9%
White 24.8%
Two or More 6.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.0%
Asian 0.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.4%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 40.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 70.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 70.0, William E. Tolman High is more mixed than the Rhode Island school average of 47.0.
Programs
AP courses offered 6
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Pawtucket, which includes William E. Tolman High.
$17,139
Per student
-16%
vs Rhode Island
Avg $20,315
+3%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 20.0%
State 63.7%
Federal 16.2%
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2021-22 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.
How William E. Tolman High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charles E. Shea High School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Joseph Jenks Middle School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Lyman B. Goff Middle School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Samuel Slater Middle School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Henry J. Winters School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to William E. Tolman High's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 770
- Students per teacher
- 12:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 697
- Students per teacher
- 14.5:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
- Enrollment
- 637
- Students per teacher
- 13.6:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 590
- Students per teacher
- 12.6:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 550
- Students per teacher
- 14.5:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
Similar high schools in Pawtucket
3 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
Similar high schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Rhode Island, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~995 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on William E. Tolman High's federal record.
- Compare William E. Tolman High against another school. Compare schools
- Pawtucket's spending and staffing shape this school. District profile
- Confirm current enrollment and boundaries with the school. Choosing guide
Federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) - PlainSchools assigns no subjective rating; the composite quality score is a transparent, reproducible index computed from this cited federal data.
Frequently asked questions about William E. Tolman High
How many students attend William E. Tolman High?
William E. Tolman High has 995 students enrolled. It is a high school in Pawtucket, RI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at William E. Tolman High?
The student-teacher ratio at William E. Tolman High is 13.4:1, which is 3% lower than the Rhode Island average of 13.8:1 and 15% lower than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at William E. Tolman High?
49.0% of students at William E. Tolman High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Rhode Island average of 39.6%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of William E. Tolman High?
The largest demographic group at William E. Tolman High is Hispanic or Latino at 40.3% of enrollment, in Pawtucket, RI. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 70.0/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for William E. Tolman High?
William E. Tolman High has a Resource Investment Index of 28/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does William E. Tolman High rank among high schools in Pawtucket?
By Resource Investment Index, William E. Tolman High ranks #4 of 4 high schools in Pawtucket, RI. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all high schools in Pawtucket on the city page.
Is William E. Tolman High a good school?
William E. Tolman High earns 28/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Rhode Island median. It is also one of the largest schools in Rhode Island. This is a resource snapshot, not an academic rating; see the Resource Investment Index question above for what the number does and doesn't measure.
What other schools are in Pawtucket?
Besides William E. Tolman High, Pawtucket also operates Charles E. Shea High School (770 students), Joseph Jenks Middle School (697 students), and Lyman B. Goff Middle School (637 students). See the Pawtucket district page for the complete list.
Related tools
Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. Each school's figures reflect its most recent NCES/CRDC submission on file. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.