Ponaganset High School is a school of the Foster-Glocester School District, located in Glocester

Glocester, Rhode Island

Glocester is a town in Providence County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 9,746 as of the 2010 census. The villages of Chepachet and Harmony are in Glocester. Putnam Pike Glocester is a town in Providence County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 9,746 as of the 2010...

, Rhode Island

Rhode Island

The state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, more commonly referred to as Rhode Island , is a state in the New England region of the United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area...

 (in Providence County). The majority of high school

High school

High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....

 students live in the rural towns of Foster, Rhode Island

Foster, Rhode Island

Foster is a town in Providence County, Rhode Island, in the United States. The population was 4,606 at the 2010 census.- History :Foster was originally settled in the 17th century by British colonists as a farming community...

 and Glocester, Rhode Island

Glocester, Rhode Island

Glocester is a town in Providence County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 9,746 as of the 2010 census. The villages of Chepachet and Harmony are in Glocester. Putnam Pike Glocester is a town in Providence County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 9,746 as of the 2010...

. This is a public high school, known for its music program, AP and honors classes, as well as its agricultural and automotive specialties. The school's athletic teams are the "Chieftains". Ponaganset is notable in RI because it averages a disproportionate number of winter weather-related cancellations each year. The cancellations are, in part, because the towns of Foster and Glocester have higher elevations than the rest of Rhode Island and are located in the unofficial "snow belt".

Alternative energy program

PHS is currently under the public eye with regards to their fuel cell

Fuel cell

A fuel cell is a device that converts the chemical energy from a fuel into electricity through a chemical reaction with oxygen or another oxidizing agent. Hydrogen is the most common fuel, but hydrocarbons such as natural gas and alcohols like methanol are sometimes used...

 and alternative energy programs. These program have received several grants from various organizations, such as the Department of Defense

United States Department of Defense

The United States Department of Defense is the U.S...

, the Department of Energy

United States Department of Energy

The United States Department of Energy is a Cabinet-level department of the United States government concerned with the United States' policies regarding energy and safety in handling nuclear material...

and local energy corporations. You can learn more about this program here .

Capital improvement plan

The school recently underwent a major multi-phase renovation in which the old Ponaganset Middle School was re-located to a brand new building and the existing high school took over the old middle school structure. An indoor glass walkway was put in to attach the high school with the old middle school. The renovations were completed at the end of 2009.

Music program

The high school boasts a successful and popular music program, started by Nedo Pandolfi in 1960. His ensembles were noted for consistent excellence and won numerous national and international competitions, including the 1996 International Festival in Vienna, Austria. Mr. Pandolfi was Music Director at Ponaganset High School for more than 30 years. The current director of bands at PHS is Daniel Coyne. Mr. Coyne joined the Ponaganset High School Music Department in September 1995 as Concert Band Director, proudly working alongside his mentor Nedo Pandolfi, who continued to teach Wind Ensemble. When Mr. Pandolfi retired suddenly the following year for health reasons, Mr. Coyne took over teaching duties for the Wind Ensemble, as well.