Enrollment
995
Rhode Island · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data High school (grades 9-12) NCES 440084000202
William E. Tolman High — Pawtucket, RI
Federal NCES profile for William E. Tolman High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 27/100.
👥 Class size 43
📚 AP courses 30
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 34
📋 Attendance 0
How this works: Each indicator above is scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC data, then averaged into the Resource Investment Index. This measures resource allocation — staffing, programs, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Full methodology →
School address
District: Pawtucket · Rhode Island
Public location data per NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) Common Core of Data. Verify the school's current address on the NCES CCD record.
Teachers (FTE)
74.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.3:1
vs 13.4:1 Rhode Island avg
+7% 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
The federal record — no proprietary index, no editorial formula.
PlainSchools publishes the actual federal measurements — enrollment, staffing, demographics, discipline, and finance — straight from the NCES Common Core of Data, CRDC, and F-33 surveys. No composite rating, no opinion-based score on top. You get the same raw numbers researchers and policymakers use, with benchmarks, spending context, and equity indicators computed from the same federal datasets. Full methodology linked below.
What this school's NCES data tells you
William E. Tolman High reports 995 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 74.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 14.3:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 7% above the Rhode Island state mean of 13.4:1, signalling larger average class loads than peers in the same state. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 10% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 49.0% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 24% above the Rhode Island average and 5% below the national baseline. The school offers 6 Advanced Placement courses, a stronger academic pipeline indicator than enrollment alone. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 332 students per counselor, above the ASCA-recommended ceiling of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 63.9% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Pawtucket spends $21,161 per pupil district-wide, below the Rhode Island average of $22,892 and above the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 20.0% from local sources (property taxes), 63.7% from the state, and 16.2% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 27/100 (F), calculated from 5 distinct NCES and CRDC indicators measuring resource allocation rather than academic outcomes.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How William E. Tolman High compares
Cross-validating school-level NCES values against Rhode Island state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.
| Metric | This school | vs Rhode Island | Rhode Island avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 14.3:1 | ▲ 7% | 13.4:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 49.0% | ▲ 24% | 39.6% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 995 | top 95% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
What the federal data reveals about equity at this school
Federal measurements — not ratings — surface the resource and opportunity picture. Below are the indicators that researchers, civil-rights monitors, and funding formulas use to assess equity.
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
14.3:1
students per teacher
— 7% above state mean
Top 71% in Rhode Island — lower ratio than 29% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Engagement
63.9%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Chronic absenteeism at or above 20% — the CDC threshold for "high" — signals significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$21,161
per pupil, district-wide
— below Rhode Island avg of $22,892
Above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
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
Enrollment 995 Top 95% in Rhode Island — larger than 5% of 309 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 74.0
Students per teacher 14.3:1 +7% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 49.0% +24% vs state
NCES ID 440084000202
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.
Programs & staff
AP courses offered 6
Counselors (FTE) 3.0
Students per counselor 332:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 63.9%
In-school suspensions 0
Out-of-school suspensions 84
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Pawtucket, which includes William E. Tolman High.
$21,161
Per student
-8%
vs Rhode Island
Avg $22,892
+9%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
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.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 770
- Students per teacher
- 13.6:1
- Enrollment
- 697
- Students per teacher
- 13:1
- Enrollment
- 637
- Students per teacher
- 13.7:1
- Enrollment
- 590
- Students per teacher
- 13.4:1
- Enrollment
- 550
- Students per teacher
- 13.5:1
Similar high schools in Pawtucket
3 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
Educator & family resources
In-depth guides on understanding NCES data, school choice, and education funding.
Understanding NCES data
How CCD, CRDC and EDFacts feed every public-school number you see.
Choose a school district
Eight signals that matter more than the overall ranking number.
How schools are funded
Title I, F-33, state aid formulas and what per-pupil spending really means.
Chronic absenteeism
Why missing 10% of school matters and how it varies by district.
Magnet vs charter vs traditional
Three school types, three funding models, three sets of trade-offs.
School discipline data
What CRDC suspension and expulsion records do and don't reveal.
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 14.3:1, which is 7% higher than the Rhode Island average of 13.4:1 and 10% lower than the national average of 15.9:1.
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%. The school serves a diverse student body in Pawtucket, RI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for William E. Tolman High?
William E. Tolman High has a Resource Investment Index of 27/100 (F) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.