As of the 2023–24 school year, the school had an enrollment of 925 students and 64.3 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 14.4:1. There were 385 students (41.6% of enrollment) eligible for free lunch and 137 (14.8% of students) eligible for reduced-cost lunch.[1]
The school had also served students from Wallington, New Jersey. After the current Lodi High School was completed for the 1973-74 school year, the former high school building was repurposed as Thomas Jefferson Middle School.[8]
Awards, recognition and rankings
The school was the 278th-ranked public high school in New Jersey out of 339 schools statewide in New Jersey Monthly magazine's September 2014 cover story on the state's "Top Public High Schools", using a new ranking methodology.[9] The school had been ranked 286th in the state of 328 schools in 2012, after being ranked 240th in 2010 out of 322 schools listed.[10] The magazine ranked the school 219th in 2008 out of 316 schools.[11] The school was ranked 199th in the magazine's September 2006 issue, which surveyed 316 schools across the state.[12]
Athletics
The Lodi High School Rams[2] participate in the North Jersey Interscholastic Conference, which is comprised of small-enrollment schools in Bergen, Hudson, Morris and Passaic counties, and was created following a reorganization of sports leagues in Northern New Jersey by the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA).[13][14][15] With 646 students in grades 10–12, the school was classified by the NJSIAA for the 2019–20 school year as Group II for most athletic competition purposes, which included schools with an enrollment of 486 to 758 students in that grade range.[16] Prior to realignment that took effect in the fall of 2010, Lodi High School was a member of the smaller Bergen-Passaic Scholastic League (BPSL).[17] The school was classified by the NJSIAA as Group II North for football for 2024–2026, which included schools with 484 to 683 students.[18]
The 1939 boys' basketball team won the Group III state championship with a 26–20 victory against South River High School in the final game of the playoff tournament.[19][20]
The football team won the North I Group II state sectional championship in 1992 and 1998 and the North II Group II title in 2005.[21] The 1992 team finished the season with a record of 11-0 after winning the North I Group II sectional title with a 7–6 win against two-time defending-champion Lenape Valley Regional High School in the championship game.[22] The team won the North II Group II state sectional championship in 2005, defeating Chatham High School 21–7 in the tournament final.[23]
The baseball team won the North I Group II sectional championship in 2003.[24]
The girls' volleyball team qualified for the state tournament in both 2006 and 2007, falling in the tournament's first round both years.[25][26]
Jerry Rinaldi was state wrestling champion (189 lb) in 2003.[27] Keith Dobish was the wrestling state champion (189 lb) in 2006.[28]
Administration
The school's acting principal is Edward Bertolini. His core administrative team includes the vice principal.[29]
^"2-Town Parley Plans Shift Of H. S. Pupils; East Paterson Board Tours, Okays School In East Rutherford", Herald News, July 23, 1953. Accessed March 23, 2022, via Newspapers.com. "Although formal approval is still pending final tuition negotiations, it seems a sure bet next year's grammar school graduates will enter East Rutherford High School.... The only things standing In the way of final approval are negotiations on the tuition rate East Paterson must pay for its pupils. Starting next year, East Paterson must find new grammar school grads a new high school. Their present sending district, Lodi High School, la overcrowded, and the Lodi school board has notified the local board that it will not be able to accept any more new students after this year."
^"Little Ferry Board Hikes Budget $22,849", The Record, January 13, 1953. Accessed January 4, 2024, via Newspapers.com. "The shift to Ridgefield Park High School and a jump In tuition costs at Lodi High School attended by pupils from Little Ferry will account for a portion of the increase in current expenses. This year's graduation class will attend Ridgefield Park High School next fall and the Board made provision for an Increase of about $100 per pupil In the tuition rate. The Board last night received notice that the tuition rate for Little Ferry pupils who will continue to attend Lodi High School will be Increased $7 and will be $235 for 1953-54. It is estimated that about 150 pupils will be attending Lodi High School next year and 55 will be in Ridgefield Park."
^"Saddle Brook to Open New H. S.", Herald News, September 12, 1958. Accessed January 5, 2022, via Newspapers.com. "The new Saddle Brook High School on Mayhill Street will open for sessions at 8 o'clock on Wednesday. Enrollment in the building is expected to total 650. Seventh-and eighth grade pupils of Cambridge School will use some of the classrooms, as will the new ninth graders and the 10th graders who are being transferred here from the Lodi High School. The 11th and 12th graders will remain in the Lodi High School until they graduate there."
^Thomas Jefferson Middle School: Our School, Lodi Public Schools. Accessed January 4, 2024. "TJMS was built in 1933 and initially served as a Junior/Senior High School for the surrounding towns of Saddle River Township (Saddle Brook), East Paterson (Elmwood Park), Little Ferry, Wallington and Lodi. In September of 1973, the new Lodi High School was built and TJMS became a 7th and 8th grade school."
^Mattura, Greg. "Small-school NJIC may debut its own league championship", The Record, January 9, 2017. Accessed August 30, 2020. "The small-school North Jersey Interscholastic Conference may debut its own boys basketball tournament this season, one season after introducing its girls hoops championship. The NJIC is comprised of schools from Bergen, Passaic and Hudson counties and the event offered to the 36 boys teams would serve as an alternative to likely competing against larger programs in a county tournament."
^"High School Football; Union Rides the Wind To North Jersey Crown", The New York Times, December 6, 1992. Accessed January 15, 2021. "Lodi ended Lenape Valley's two-year reign as North Jersey, Section 1, Group 2 champion with a 7-6 victory. Lodi (11-0) scored the winning touchdown in the third quarter when Anthony DeSimone threw a 39-yard touchdown pass to Mike Sizow."
^Morris, Tim. "Parisi second at state wrestling championships", News Transcript, March 15, 2006. Accessed August 14, 2011. "Parisi was writing the final chapter in his illustrious record-breaking career, and looking to become Marlboro's first state champion when he went up against Lodi's Keith Dobish in the 189-pound final.... He lost 3-1 to Dobish on a late, first-period takedown."
^Our School, Lodi High School. Accessed August 18, 2024.
^David "Dr. Chud" Calabrese, Drummers Zone. Accessed January 20, 2021. "Born as David Calabrese (1964, Lodi, New Jersey) Dr. Chud graduated from Lodi High School with Doyle in 1982."
^Home Page, DrChud.com, March 12, 2005. Accessed August 23, 2012.
^"School Notes", The Record, September 29, 1993. Accessed August 18, 2024, via Newspapers.com. "Brian Cina of Lodi High School and Beth Maredkian of Dumont High School were among the high school juniors selected for the University Scholars Program at Rutgers, the State University."
^ abcOzzi, Dan. "An Excessively Deep Dive into The Misfits' High School Yearbooks", Vice (magazine), May 13, 2016. Accessed April 4, 2017. "Let us start with Jerry Only, class of '77. Born Gerald Caiafa, Jerry was, from what I can glean, the coolest motherfucker that ever stepped foot in Lodi High School or possibly any school in the history of education.... Glenn Danzig, born Glenn Anzalone, graduated from Lodi High School in 1973, though the only appearance he makes in any yearbooks is this lone Senior portrait."
^Howie Janotta, RealGM. Accessed October 21, 2018. "High School: Lodi High School [Lodi, New Jersey]"
^Offensive Coordinator Rich Skrosky, Monmouth Hawks football. Accessed February 23, 2018. "He served as an assistant coach at St. Peter's Prep in Jersey City in 1984 and later served as assistant head coach and defensive coordinator at his alma mater Lodi (N.J.) High School in 1985 and 1986. Skrosky and his wife, the former Suzanne Quentz, reside in Howell, N.J."
^Miraglia, Mary K. "Happy Birthday To Lodi's Eerie Von", Garfield-Lodi Daily Voice, August 25, 215. Accessed April 4, 2017. "He began using the nickname Eerie when he was a student at Lodi High School."
^Miller, Stephen. "Robert Zoellner, Alpine Associates Founder, Dies at 82", Bloomberg News, December 31, 2014. Accessed December 31, 2014. "After graduating from Lodi High School in 1950, he attended Lehigh, where he was co-captain of the ice hockey team and enrolled in Air Force ROTC."