| School Name | Address | Phone | Grades | County | Type | District Name |
| William E Tolman Senior High School | 150 Exchange St
Pawtucket, RI 02860 | (401) 729-6400 | 9-12 | Providence | public | Pawtucket School District |
| Ethnic Background | Percent | Year |
| White, non-Hispanic | 50.0407 | 2009 |
| Black, non-Hispanic | 18.2262 | 2009 |
| Hispanic | 29.943 | 2009 |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.732303 | 2009 |
| Native American or Native Alaskan | 1.05777 | 2009 |
| Students Getting Free Lunch | Year |
| 61% | 2009 |
| Date | Who | Comments |
| 2/25/2010 | teacher | Tolman High School is just an average school. Some say they have their best years of their live at highschool, but I don't see how teens can do this at Tolman. The teachers aren't as good as they could be and the students don't really want to learn. Plus, Tolman is undergoing both a schedule change and a Portfolio, which completely kills the consept of highschool. Tolman is nothing like it used to be. |
| 9/13/2009 | student | tolman high has its ups and its downs. i have a bittersweet feeling about it... where it has its brilliant students and wonderful teachers, it also has deadbeats and teachers who could care less. but isnt that every school??? you hear such bad stories about tolman, but attleborro high or even st. raphaels have stories just as bad. there is much to love about tolman and many great opportunities to seize. stop complaining until you experience it yourself. |
| 2/5/2009 | student | William E. Tolman is a fantastic school for both teachers and students. I am currently in the top of my class and I manage to particpate in a variety of extra curricular activities as well as an assortment of high and moderately weighted classes. I find it hard to beleive that at any other public high school in RI you will find such wonderful and dedicated coaches and teachers. We have an active student body and a faculty that is willing to go over the moon for their students. We have some of the best teachers in RI on the payroll here at THS. We have Ivy League educated teachers with their PhDs in their feilds who live to teach adolescents. From track and feild to robotics & Key Club THS also offers great after school activities and tutoring programs. I am very proud of my school. |
| 5/17/2008 | parent | This is a good school. I don't know everyone else is talking about that it is not. Maybe if we the parents get more involved in the schools, it won't be so bad. I have 1 child who graduated last year and I have another one graduating this year. I like how the school split the year up into trimesters. The school is tryingt its best so that students can graduate and earn more credits during the year. This year it is new that seniors class of 2008 and beyond has to present a portfolio to a board of advisors. I Tthink that this is a great preparation for the future. Why? Because after kids greaduate from college , they may need to gather together a portfolio to a 'real job' or career sort of speak. This just helps them build on the public speaking communication skills that they need to |
| 11/1/2007 | student | Don't let bad press about the school fool you. It has a plethora of extra curricular activities, such as student council, key club, class boards, drama club, dance club, math league, robotics, and many more in addition to sports. Most of the teachers are very competant, and provide fascinating and captivating lessons. The only short comings I can think of are the Rhode Island Department of Education mandated graduation requirement, such as portfolios. Also, the daily, eight minute, advisory does not provide much help to students at all. Other than that, it is a really great school. |
| 10/25/2007 | student | I am currently attending Tolman High school and I think the teachers, staff, and guidence all fail to provide the students with the maretials, and education that we need. And most deffinitly the Saftey of ourselfs. Their is always some sort of fight at Tolman High and if we were busy being educaited where would we have time to fight? I would never refer anyone to William E Tolman Senior High School. |
| 5/4/2007 | student | This school is really put down more then it ever should. The teachers are amazing, the school has really been upgraded with everything. There are a variety of new elective classes and it really makes the students want to go to class and participate. The sports are what really make the school a school. And I dont regret ever coming to this school. |
| 3/29/2007 | parent | on a personal note i would not send any child to this school my children attended tolman not a good experience |
| 12/14/2006 | parent | Great school, my son loves it there. I wouldn't send him anywhere else. The school has somewhat of a bad reputation. But the allegations against the school are in the most part false. Don't get me wrong there are a few bad apples, who can be found there. These bad apples are both teachers and students, but for the most part its hard to find a genuinely bad person. But because of the few bad ones the whole school gets labeled as bad. It is pretty unfair in my opinion. |
| 8/8/2006 | teacher | There some good kids who want to succeed but they deserve much better. There are many kids who are out of control and don't care. We need more parent support. Most of the teachers try to do a good job with little support or good supplies. Send your kid to a private school if you can. |
| 3/26/2006 | former student | I attended THS from 99'-03'. Many of the teachers there are very intelligent, helpful, and among the best one can find in both private and public schools. Year after year Tolman students pass the AP Calc exam with better rates than many other schools in the state. The difference is with Tolman is that there are many un-motivated and poor mannered students that bring down the reputation. If your child is motivated, he or she will obtain an invaluable high school education. In my graduating year, classmates went on to attend URI, BU, BC, Brown, WPI, Quinnipiac, and many more great schools. |
| 3/4/2006 | former student | I am a recent graduate of Tolman High School and am now attending Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. I believe that Pawtucket in general receives a bad name. Most teachers are there for the students and will do in some cases anything to help the student out. I feel that it is the parental involvement and lack of a 'good' principal that are the main components of problems. The other problem which is true for almost all of Pawtucket's schools are that they are old and are in need of some major fixes/upgrades. |
| 8/9/2005 | parent | I have 2 children who have graduated from Tolman and I currently have three children attending Tolman. I think the Guidance Counselors are wonderful as far as they are always there to help whenever I call or go to the school for any reason reguarding my children and their education. However, I feel the rest of the faculty leaves much to be desired. Unfortunately, most especially the teachers! Some teachers are 'top notch' but most of the teachers ARE NOT AVAILABLE for extra help after school and don't seem to want to bother with the children past a certain time of day. I also feel the school system, in general needs to have more discipline over the children. The PTA is too political as well. |
| 1/9/2005 | student | I am currently attending Tolman High school and am shocked at the reviews. We have one of the best science and math programs in the state. I recieved a perfect score on my math PSAT's. this is something to which I credit the math department. In addition the problem with students failing is largly due to lack of student will to succeed. there is not a teacher in the school who will not tutor after school. The school also offers championship quality sports and a wide variety of extracurriculars. The biggest problem with this school is the lack of parental involement. I am at every parents night volunteering and also attend School Improvement Team meetings, perhapse those are the venues in which you should complain. I choose to go to tolman despite receiving a full scholarship to Hendriken and am yet to regret my decision. |
| 9/15/2004 | former student | I attended and graduated from Tolman just a few years ago. Afterwhich, I attended one of the top engineering schools in the country. I now have a great job with a strong engineering firm. Tolman offers you what you want. If you want after hours activities, they have them. And every student has every opportunity to obtain a good education. If the student chooses to not take advantage of that, what can be done? I would rather they cater to the students who want the education, then fight to keep the ones who don't appreciate it. School is only in session for 30 hours each week. What the child does w/ the rest is the responsibility of the parent. Perhaps if they made sure their kids were in school during the 180 day school term, they wouldn't have to worry about summer school. |
| 9/15/2004 | former student | When I went to that school it was a good one also as far as summer school why blame the school or teacher look at the kids and parents for some falt. |
| 5/17/2004 | parent | It is a same that we have to send our children to this school. The building is falling apart, the teachers and administrators are all failing to help these kids learn, and the kids all know it! If you can, send your kid to private school or move to a better state. Don't waste your tax money here! |
| 8/22/2003 | parent | I am very dissapointed in Tolman High School. I have never seen so many children fail the School Year. My daughter went to summer school and I was shocked to see the amount of kids there, it was like a regular day at school. There is no accountability, it has become accepted and I feel there is no leadership to help improve the school. The Mayor of Pawtucket needs to take a good look at the schools in Cumberland and Central Falls (Yes Central Falls believe it or not)they continue to improve their schools. Pawtucket is at a standstill. Kids are at the bottom of the list! |
| 6/12/2003 | | The Pawtucket School District offers your child a substandard education. Is near bottom in test scores statewide. If you have a choice do not enroll your child in this district. |
