William E. Tolman High School
Encyclopedia
William E. Tolman Senior High School (originally Pawtucket High School, changed to Pawtucket East High School, then William E. Tolman Senior High School) is one of two public high schools located in Pawtucket, Rhode Island
, United States
. It was built and opened in 1926 along the east bank of the Blackstone River
as a "state of the art
" educational facility. The building consists of four floors and a basement, 60 class rooms, a 1,300-seat auditorium, a swimming pool, and a nursery for the children of teenage mothers. Tolman High School is the first multi-million dollar high school east of the Mississippi and the gym is the oldest high school gym in Rhode Island
that is still in use. The school has been remodeled several time with the most recent being in 1980.
The school's pool was also featured in the film Mermaids
and the school is in some scenes of the film Moonstruck
.
. Throughout the 90's, however, due to the trend in lopsided games resulting from a more powerful private school, it was decided in 2001 that Tolman's new rival would be Shea High School
, the city's second public high school across the Blackstone River. Saint Raphael's had been leading the series 38-34-4 before it was dissolved and had won the final 8 meetings by a combined score of 270-6.
In the summer of 2010, due to realignment by the Rhode Island Interscholastic League and request by Saint Raphael Academy, Saint Ray's dropped from Division I to Division II B, the same division as Tolman. On September 17, 2010, for the first time since 2001, Tolman revived it's rivalry with Saint Ray's. Tolman won the contest with a score of 37-0.
In the days of the old rivalry on Thanksgiving Eve, Tolman students would participate in the annual Burning of the Casket ceremony on the Blackstone River. This ceremony would take place after the Homecoming dance and involved the release of a burning casket down the Blackstone River. The tradition of the burning of the casket however, was abandoned in the early 2000s. The traditional pep rally held prior to the game was canceled in 2009 but returned the following year.
for the Associated Press
in 2007 called Tolman High School one of the nation's 'dropout
factories' among high schools. However, students who dropout but go on to receive their GED, transfer students, and students who were held back one or more grades are counted as dropouts. Local officials said that many students from low-income families move between urban districts frequently and some travel back to their home country often adding to the dropout count twice. State statistics however match the findings that fewer than 60 percent of students were retained until senior year. According to the Rhode Island Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, the graduation rate for Tolman in 2008 was 58.4% with 24.3% dropping out compared to the state graduation rate of 73.9% with 14.9% dropping out.
In March 2001 a student allegedly threatened a teacher saying that he had a .22 pistol
at home with bullet with the teachers name on it.
On December 10, 2002, a student was jumped outside of the school by a group of students he accidentally bumped into in the hallway in which the student received 65 stitches and suffered numbness and scarring. The attackers were identified using a school yearbook and four students were charged with assault and expelled for the rest of the school year. The student's father said that there were other outbreaks of violence in the Pawtucket school system and alleged that school administrators were keeping them quiet. He also demanded that police officers be posted inside Pawtucket school buildings. School Committee members voted unanimously to commission the Blue Ribbon Violence Committee, headed by former Attorney General
Sheldon Whitehouse
, in response to the outrage. In legal papers, the student said that the assault "took place as a result of the city's failure to provide adequate supervision and security" in the public schools and demanded $100,000, the statutory limit for damages in a municipal liability case.
In May 2003 a student was suspended for carrying a weapon similar to brass knuckles in school.
In September 2003 a task force on school violence said that school violence is going unchecked because students who are most likely to commit acts of violence are students prone to academic failure, and the Pawtucket school system has few programs to help those students.
On January 12, 2005 nine young men were arrested for fighting outside of Tolman. Police were forewarned about the fight but it took 10 police officers to break up the fights because every time they would move the group a fight would break out around the corner. Two of the people arrested weren't residents of Pawtucket.
In the spring of 2007, a suspicious looking object resembling a pipe bomb caused the evacuation of Tolman High School. The state's fire marshal's bomb squad was called in after a teacher spotted the object in a second floor locker. The bomb squad applied a small explosive charge to destroy the object. When a second larger explosion did not occur, the fragments were sent away for testing to learn more about the object. It was concluded that it was in fact part of the school's circa 1927 pipe organ that was decommissioned during renovation of the school's auditorium. Two students later confessed they stuck the piece of organ into a locker for safekeeping.
Pawtucket, Rhode Island
Pawtucket is a city in Providence County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 71,148 at the 2010 census. It is the fourth largest city in the state.-History:...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It was built and opened in 1926 along the east bank of the Blackstone River
Blackstone River
The Blackstone River is a river in the U.S. states of Massachusetts and Rhode Island. It flows approximately 48 mi and drains a watershed of approximately 540 sq. mi...
as a "state of the art
State of the art
The state of the art is the highest level of development, as of a device, technique, or scientific field, achieved at a particular time. It also refers to the level of development reached at any particular time as a result of the latest methodologies employed.- Origin :The earliest use of the term...
" educational facility. The building consists of four floors and a basement, 60 class rooms, a 1,300-seat auditorium, a swimming pool, and a nursery for the children of teenage mothers. Tolman High School is the first multi-million dollar high school east of the Mississippi and the gym is the oldest high school gym in 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...
that is still in use. The school has been remodeled several time with the most recent being in 1980.
The school's pool was also featured in the film Mermaids
Mermaids (film)
Mermaids is a 1990 comedy-drama film directed by Richard Benjamin and starring Cher, Bob Hoskins, Winona Ryder , and Christina Ricci in her first film role...
and the school is in some scenes of the film Moonstruck
Moonstruck
Moonstruck is a 1987 American romantic comedy film directed by Norman Jewison. It stars Cher, Nicolas Cage, Danny Aiello, Vincent Gardenia, and Olympia Dukakis....
.
Thanksgiving football rivalries
Tolman High School shared a 73 year old Thanksgiving Day football rivalry with nearby private school, Saint Raphael AcademySt. Raphael Academy
Saint Raphael Academy is a Roman Catholic, coeducational, college preparatory school in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, USA. It was founded in the tradition of Saint John Baptist de Lasalle and rooted in the Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ. The Academy welcomes students that are academically, economically,...
. Throughout the 90's, however, due to the trend in lopsided games resulting from a more powerful private school, it was decided in 2001 that Tolman's new rival would be Shea High School
Shea High School
Charles E. Shea High School, commonly known as Shea High School, is an American secondary school in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. Shea is part of the Pawtucket School Department. The mascot is the "Shea High Raider". The school was named after a well-known Pawtucket resident, Charles E...
, the city's second public high school across the Blackstone River. Saint Raphael's had been leading the series 38-34-4 before it was dissolved and had won the final 8 meetings by a combined score of 270-6.
In the summer of 2010, due to realignment by the Rhode Island Interscholastic League and request by Saint Raphael Academy, Saint Ray's dropped from Division I to Division II B, the same division as Tolman. On September 17, 2010, for the first time since 2001, Tolman revived it's rivalry with Saint Ray's. Tolman won the contest with a score of 37-0.
In the days of the old rivalry on Thanksgiving Eve, Tolman students would participate in the annual Burning of the Casket ceremony on the Blackstone River. This ceremony would take place after the Homecoming dance and involved the release of a burning casket down the Blackstone River. The tradition of the burning of the casket however, was abandoned in the early 2000s. The traditional pep rally held prior to the game was canceled in 2009 but returned the following year.
Dropout rate
With only 54% of freshman making it to their senior year, a study released by Johns Hopkins UniversityJohns Hopkins University
The Johns Hopkins University, commonly referred to as Johns Hopkins, JHU, or simply Hopkins, is a private research university based in Baltimore, Maryland, United States...
for the Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
in 2007 called Tolman High School one of the nation's 'dropout
Dropping out
Dropping out means leaving a group for either practical reasons, necessities or disillusionment with the system from which the individual in question leaves....
factories' among high schools. However, students who dropout but go on to receive their GED, transfer students, and students who were held back one or more grades are counted as dropouts. Local officials said that many students from low-income families move between urban districts frequently and some travel back to their home country often adding to the dropout count twice. State statistics however match the findings that fewer than 60 percent of students were retained until senior year. According to the Rhode Island Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, the graduation rate for Tolman in 2008 was 58.4% with 24.3% dropping out compared to the state graduation rate of 73.9% with 14.9% dropping out.
Security issues
Security at Tolman High School was greatly scrutinized in the fall of 1996 when a Providence teenager blindly fired a .45 caliber semiautomatic pistol in the school cafeteria following a fistfight at a school dance. A ban on outsiders at school dances and an increase is police officer presence at the school was enforced by the superintendent following the shooting. A proposal for a requirement for all students to wear photo ids during regular school hours was another major policy brought forth shortly after the event. Student ids were issued for a number of years, but were discontinued due to funding issues. Weeks after the shooting, the suspect was arrested at a Dunkin' Donuts in Johnston, Rhode Island, after a detective learned he was in the doughnut shop and preparing to flee the state.In March 2001 a student allegedly threatened a teacher saying that he had a .22 pistol
High Standard .22 Pistol
High Standard target pistols are manufactured in a variety of models in .22 Short and .22 Long Rifle chamberings for use in competition. One selling point is the similarity in grip angle and manual safety location to the M1911A1 series, a pistol common in service pistol competition.A variant of...
at home with bullet with the teachers name on it.
On December 10, 2002, a student was jumped outside of the school by a group of students he accidentally bumped into in the hallway in which the student received 65 stitches and suffered numbness and scarring. The attackers were identified using a school yearbook and four students were charged with assault and expelled for the rest of the school year. The student's father said that there were other outbreaks of violence in the Pawtucket school system and alleged that school administrators were keeping them quiet. He also demanded that police officers be posted inside Pawtucket school buildings. School Committee members voted unanimously to commission the Blue Ribbon Violence Committee, headed by former Attorney General
Attorney General
In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general, or attorney-general, is the main legal advisor to the government, and in some jurisdictions he or she may also have executive responsibility for law enforcement or responsibility for public prosecutions.The term is used to refer to any person...
Sheldon Whitehouse
Sheldon Whitehouse
Sheldon Whitehouse is the junior U.S. Senator from Rhode Island, serving since 2007. He is a member of the Democratic Party...
, in response to the outrage. In legal papers, the student said that the assault "took place as a result of the city's failure to provide adequate supervision and security" in the public schools and demanded $100,000, the statutory limit for damages in a municipal liability case.
In May 2003 a student was suspended for carrying a weapon similar to brass knuckles in school.
In September 2003 a task force on school violence said that school violence is going unchecked because students who are most likely to commit acts of violence are students prone to academic failure, and the Pawtucket school system has few programs to help those students.
On January 12, 2005 nine young men were arrested for fighting outside of Tolman. Police were forewarned about the fight but it took 10 police officers to break up the fights because every time they would move the group a fight would break out around the corner. Two of the people arrested weren't residents of Pawtucket.
In the spring of 2007, a suspicious looking object resembling a pipe bomb caused the evacuation of Tolman High School. The state's fire marshal's bomb squad was called in after a teacher spotted the object in a second floor locker. The bomb squad applied a small explosive charge to destroy the object. When a second larger explosion did not occur, the fragments were sent away for testing to learn more about the object. It was concluded that it was in fact part of the school's circa 1927 pipe organ that was decommissioned during renovation of the school's auditorium. Two students later confessed they stuck the piece of organ into a locker for safekeeping.
Demographics
The numbers below are from the Rhode Island Department of Elementary and Secondary Education for the 2009-2010 school year.| Ethnicity | Number of Students | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| White | 652 | 51% |
| Hispanic | 365 | 29% |
| Black | 235 | 19% |
| Asian Pacific | 9 | <1% |
| American Indian | 7 | <1% |
| Total | 1268 | 100% |
Notable alumni
- Peter KilmartinPeter KilmartinPeter F. Kilmartin is an American attorney and currently Attorney General of Rhode Island. Kilmartin is a retired police captain and formerly a member of the Rhode Island House of Representatives.-Biography:...
(1962-) - Class of 1980, Rhode Island state representative and candidate for attorney general - Kevin LimaKevin LimaKevin Lima is an American film director who has directed a number of Disney films including his debut film A Goofy Movie in 1995, Tarzan, 102 Dalmatians, and Enchanted. He is married to Brenda Chapman, an animation Director at Pixar.-Life and career:Lima studied film and animation at the...
(1962-) - Class of 1980, Disney animator and film directorFilm directorA film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
of the films A Goofy MovieA Goofy MovieA Goofy Movie is a 1995 American animated musical comedy film, produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation, Walt Disney Animation France S.A. and Walt Disney Animation Australia , and released in theaters on April 7, 1995 by Walt Disney Pictures...
, TarzanTarzan (1999 film)Tarzan is a 1999 American animated feature film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and released by Walt Disney Pictures on June 18, 1999...
, 102 Dalmatians102 Dalmatians102 Dalmatians is a 2000 live-action film, produced by Walt Disney Pictures and starring Glenn Close as Cruella de Vil. It is the sequel to 101 Dalmatians, a live-action remake of the 1961 Disney animated feature of the same name. In the film, Cruella de Vil attempts to steal puppies for her...
, Eloise at the PlazaEloise at the PlazaEloise at the Plaza is a live-action film based on the Eloise series of children's books drawn and written by Kay Thompson and Hilary Knight...
, Eloise at ChristmastimeEloise at ChristmastimeEloise at Christmastime is a live-action film based on the 1958 book of the same name written by Kay Thompson and illustrated by Hilary Knight. The film was produced by Handmade Films and DiNovi Pictures for Walt Disney Television with distribution handled by the ABC Television Network. It was...
, and Enchanted - Abraham NathansonAbraham NathansonAbraham Nathanson was an American graphic designer. He created the game Bananagrams, a game that uses letter tiles similar to Scrabble with the addition of the element of speed....
(1929–2010) - developer of the game BananagramsBananagramsBananagrams is a word game invented by Abraham Nathanson of Narragansett, Rhode Island, wherein lettered tiles are used to spell words.Nathanson conceived and developed the idea for the game with the help of his family...
.