The William M. Davies, Jr. Career and Technical High School opened in 1971 to serve the needs of students in the Blackstone Valley area (Central Falls, Cumberland, Lincoln, Burrillville, North Smithfield, Smithfield, Pawtucket, Woonsocket). The capacity of the school, known at that time as the William M. Davies, Jr. Vocational School, was 600 students. In 1976, Woonsocket Area Vocational School opened, and Woonsocket, Cumberland, Burrillville, and North Smithfield sent their students to this new facility. The new center was not a stand-alone school offering both academic and technical training, but rather a skill center providing technical training only. The town of North Providence was added to the list of communities Davies served at that time. Davies operated on an alternating week of academics and a week of technical training until 1993.

In 1991, an amendment to public law created a new entity, the William M. Davies, Jr. Career and Technical High School, following the collective thinking of the business sector that the vocational training being provided statewide at the time was ineffective, and students were not given the proper tools to assist businesses and industries in being competitive. Davies was to become a model school that could be replicated in a total of five regional areas throughout the state, replacing the existing vocational system.

Moving beyond vocational training.

Davies became a “limited-purpose” local education authority (LEA) with an appointed board of trustees and a director/principal. It was fully funded by the State of Rhode Island through the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. The amendment detailed the duties of the director/principal, the board of trustees, the commissioner of education, and the Board of Regents, which oversees all public education. It also directed Davies to create a “model” career and technical school.

In 1992, a 100,000 sq. ft. addition was built onto the 100,000 plus sq. ft. building erected in 1971. The facility is now approximately 220,000 sq. feet, including a 9-room modular building and another laboratory adjacent to the existing structure. The design of the new addition was based on the week-about model and assumed that adults would be educated alongside high school students, bringing capacity to 950 students.

At the time of the completion of the addition in September 1992, a new administrative team was hired by the director/principal and the board of trustees. In 1993, a new format and direction were implemented, reducing the number of minutes students spent in technical areas and reallocating that time to academics. Students in grades 9-11 would follow a modified block format combining academics and technical training, while seniors continued with the week-about format, allowing for out-of-school placements or extended in-school project activities.

Today, Davies enrolls up to 900 students from all regions of Rhode Island. Davies students receive two complete educations: a comprehensive high school education plus specialized training in a career area.

Learn more about Davies' CTE Programs

Our Namesake

On March 30th, we honor the birthday of our school's namesake, Senator William M. Davies, Jr. Born in Reading, PA, in 1914, Davies was a mechanical engineer who became a respected senator in Lincoln, Rhode Island. From 1949 until his passing in 1963, he served in the Rhode Island Senate, where he earned a reputation as a practical and thoughtful leader, especially for his dedication to the youth of the state.

Senator Davies was known for listening to the needs of young Rhode Islanders and passionately advocating for technical education opportunities. His legacy of service and commitment to education made a lasting impact on our state, leading to the dedication of our school in his honor on November 3, 1971. Each year, we proudly celebrate his contributions and the values he stood for as a guiding light for our students and community.