Chariho, Rhode Island

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Chariho, Rhode Island is not the actual name of a town, but the name of a regional school district shared by three adjacent towns; Charlestown, Richmond, and Hopkinton. The name Chariho is derived by taking the first syllables from each town name and combining them together. The district is comprised of four elementary schools, two of which are located in Hopkinton, in the villages of Ashaway and Hope Valley, one in Charlestown, and one in Richmond. The Chariho campus located in the Richmond village of Wood River Junction houses the Middle and High Schools, as well as the Chariho Career And Technical Center. Enrollment of the High School is around 1300 students including 430 in the Career and Technical school (as of 2007). Chariho is the largest school district in Rhode Island covering 126 square miles.

The Chariho Act is the legislation governing the regional school district. Each town contributes taxes proportionally based on student enrollment.

The name Chariho is also often used to describe the region including its three towns, as a number of local organizations and businesses have used the name.