West Greenwich
The open land that lays to the west of the Town of East Greenwich was a popular hunting grounds for the Narragansett Indians. There the game animals were abundant and the Big and Wood Rivers could be fished for salmon and trout.
The town was first established in 1639 and on June 10, 1709, a group of thirteen men purchased 35,000 acres of the open land for 1,000 pounds. In 1740 a signed petition was submitted to the Govenor Richard Wandd requesting that the area be set off as a separate town. In 1741 the General Assembly for the colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations incorporated West Greenwich as a separate town.
The settlers of West Greenwich were hard workers and were accustomed to manual labor. After the American Revolution farming and lumbering became the more common jobs of the townspeople. During the Civil War manufacturing goods took precedence and contributed greatly to the town’s development. West Greenwich is now noted for its fine riding trails and rural countryside.
Total Population: 5,085
Square Miles (land): 50.6
Age Distribution
<15 years: 24% 16-24 years: 11% 25-44 years: 33% 45-64 years: 25% >65: 7%
Education
Some college/ Associate’s Degree: 34%
Bachelor’s Degree: 20%
Master’s, Professional or Doctorate Degrees: 10%
Housing
Percent of owner-occupied units: 86%
Average Number of household members: 3
Average number of rooms: 6.6
Median year homes were built: 1982
Median home value(2006): 351,000
Income
Median household income: $65,725
School Data
2005 Assessment Results: Exeter/West Greenwich Regional High |
| | Math: Skills | Math: Concepts | Math: Problem Solving | Reading: Understanding | Reading: Analysis | Writing: Effectiveness | Writing: Conventions |
% of Proficient Students: Exeter/W.Greenwich | 81% | 66% | 65% | 60% | 53% | 61% | 82% |
& of Proficient Students: RI Average | 57% | 38% | 39% | 51% | 44% | 42% | 71% |
| | Math SAT Average | Verbal SAT Average | % of Students taking SATs |
Exeter/W.Greenwich | 521 | 519 | 57% |
RI | 501 | 495 | 56% |
| | Graduation Rate: | 96% |
| | Student/Teacher Ratio: | 10:1 |
All statistics gathered from Information Works!, Rhode Islands annual report on public education, and is from the school year 04-05.
This school is characterized as making insufficient progress and is in need of improvement.
All census data as of 2000