South Kingstown
The town of South Kingstown was established in 1658 and incorporated as a town in 1723. It is located approximately 30 miles from Providence and is Rhode Island's largest town in land area. South Kingstown borders the Atlantic Ocean and is a summer resort destination for its beautiful sandy beaches. Many salt water marshes, farmlands and woodlands belong to this area. The Town of South Kingstown is comprised of many smaller villages, namely, Wakefield, Kingston, Peace Dale, West Kingston, Green Hill, Matunuck, Snug Harbor, Middlebridge, Perryville, Usequepaugh, Tuckertown, and Indian Lake.
South Kingstown’s magical mix of ocean, pond and meadow bathed by balmy breezes and warmed by the Gulf Stream, attracted a special breed of settlers who created a ‘Southern Plantation Culture’ based on dairy and livestock production for export to the British West Indies and other ports-of-call on the Triangle Trade. The 17th and 18th centuries saw vast plantations extend across fertile coastal flats.
With the demise of the plantation economy many of the grand families of South Kingstown turned their sights to industry and applied revolutionary new means of manufacturing based on water power. Today the old mill buildings still exist, although do not function as traditional mills, and the old plantation culture has led farmers to focus on producing fresh and organic fruits and vegetables.
South Kingstown serves as a mecca to both shop-keepers and to summer tourists. The town’s many villages each have a host of shops offering a wide variety of goods. Prime among the shopping areas is Wakefield’s historic Main Street. Summer tourists can’t resist the fun and excitement of South Kingstown and the unspoiled beauties of the forests, meadows, ponds and sandy beaches.
Total Population: 27,921
Square Miles (land): 57.1
Age Distribution
<15 years: 19% 16-24 years: 24% 25-44 years: 24% 45-64 years: 22% >65: 11%
Education
Some college/ Associate’s Degree: 24%
Bachelor’s Degree: 27%
Master’s, Professional or Doctorate Degrees: 20%
Housing
Percent of owner-occupied units: 61.5%
Average Number of household members: 2.7
Average number of rooms: 6.7
Median year homes were built: 1975
Median home value(2006): $434,000
Income
Median household income: $56,325
School Data
2005 Assessment Results: South Kingstown High School |
| | Math: Skills | Math: Concepts | Math: Problem Solving | Reading: Understanding | Reading: Analysis | Writing: Effectiveness | Writing: Conventions |
% of Proficient Students: S.Kingstown | 71% | 54% | 53% | 65% | 58% | 50% | 76% |
& of Proficient Students: RI Average | 57% | 38% | 39% | 51% | 44% | 42% | 71% |
| | Math SAT Average | Verbal SAT Average | % of Students taking SATs |
S.Kingstown | 548 | 532 | 76% |
|
RI | 501 | 495 | 56% |
| | Graduation Rate: | 94% |
| | Student/Teacher Ratio: | 9:1 |
All statistics gathered from Information Works!, Rhode Islands annual report on public education, and is from the school year 04-05.
This school is high performing with caution.
All census data as of 2000